Magic: Archenemy

You might remember that in the past I did an episode of the show looking at Planechase, a new way to play Magic: The Gathering. I loved it then, and I still love it now.

So it’s exciting to see that there’s a new multiplayer variant for Magic coming out this month. It’s called “Archenemy”, and lets one player play a Big Bad who is tasked with destroying all of his opponents.

You can read all about it HERE, but you can be sure I’ll be looking at it in more detail if I get my hands on it.

CHOOSE, WEAKLING! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Looks amazing, no?

DowntimeTown Episode 8: M:TG – PLANECHASE

Watch the new episode of DowntimeTown now. A chat about Magic: The Gathering and a look at the brand new “Planechase” system. Watch using the vimeo below or on the youTube channel later tonight.

DowntimeTown Episode 8: Magic: the Gathering – Planechase from Robert Florence on Vimeo.

Zaa Ooo Zaa!

Exploring Magic 2010

Not long ago, I made my first tentative steps into the world of Magic: The Gathering, a tale detailed in this article. With the recent launch of Magic 2010, the new core set, I thought it might be worth looking deeper into the game with a particular focus on the new cards. I was fortunate enough to be sent a big box of booster packs to run the DowntimeTown rule over, so I’ve got cards “up the wazoo,” as some might say. I hope someone sleeved them before they went up there.

I can’t pretend that I have an in-depth knowledge of the game, but I know what I like, and this article is about something that I’m starting to think I like very much indeed, much to the chagrin of my accountant.

The Magic 2010 Core Set consists of 249 cards. Just under half of them are brand new cards, and the remainder is made up of reprints of “classics.” The classics will, of course, be new to me. Consider this exploration to be very much from the perspective of a new player – the type of person I believe Wizards of the Coast are trying to attract with the new set.

Here we go. Let’s start by opening a pack of cards.

Let's first remove one pack from the big box of packs. What a glorious sight!

The author with a Magic 2010 booster pack. By this point in the process, your heart will be pumping in anticipation of shiny-shinies.

Here they come. The moment of truth approaches. Will there be a valuable Rare in this very pack?! I feel sick.

Whatever else is inside, there's a vampire. Which is good news if you have plans of building a Vampire and Zombie deck of DEATH (and probable failure, but SCARY failure).

The face of a 32 year old man who's just found a bit of cardboard with Ball Lightning written on it.

Opening the booster pack is a key part of the Magic experience. In my less enlightened years, I imagined that this was really what Magic was all about, that this unveiling ritual was the only reason that people really cared about Magic. I imagined that the ugly truth of the game was that in the acronym CCG, only the first letter mattered, and the last existed merely to justify the expense.

But what I’ve discovered is this – Magic is an incredible game. An incredible game. And while the collectable element is appealing (particularly to an obsessive hoarder like myself), it is the game that come first. Every card is a tiny piece of a massive, ever-customisable whole. Every card is a tiny piece of a beautiful game mechanic’s long and dignified history.

Limited experience here, remember, but it appears to me that Magic 2010’s cards give you more than a wonderful introduction to the game – they give you a feel for the vast scope of the whole system.

With that, let’s have a quick video explaining how the game works, for those who don’t know. This video is a couple of years old, but it’s from Wizards of the Coast themselves, and is really quite charming. Look out for lots of awkwardness from the likeable guy on the left, and lots of family friendly trash talk from the lady on the right:

Having quite a few games under my belt now, I can understand where all the “IT’S A MONEY PIT! AVOID!” talk originates from. It’s not, as I thought it might be, about needing to buy cards. Certainly not if you’re not playing competitively. It’s more about wanting to buy cards. The deckbuilding element of the game constantly excites, because with every play you can see how your deck could be configured better. The perfect deck always seems tantalisingly close. You want a big old roster of cards at your fingertips so that you can test your management skills.

Let’s take a closer look at this particular set of 249 cards, then, with some of my favourites. I should say that I’ve only opened 18 packs so far, so this is just a sample:

Mine. All mine! This is a classic card, and one that is a big help when you have a deck dependent on the draw.

That's floating horses there. Floating horses. YES. Creatures that fly can usually only be blocked by other flying creatures in Magic, so this card's lovely for cowardly custards.

I'm not a White player, but I might be tempted to dabble, because this looks like a beast.

I'm told this is an iconic card. It's a flying creature that can generate mana. And it's beautiful. And it also cooks.

And here's my beautiful boy. I dream of the day I manage to get him onto the table. That word there is INDESTRUCTIBLE by the way. BAM!

My favourites don’t have too much to do with how powerful they are, or how rare they are. I tend to like cards that I think will be fun to play. I like the cards with art that appeals to me. ‘Cancel’, for example, won my heart as soon as I looked at it. I mean, seriously, check it:

Cancel. The only card in the world less welcome than a With Deepest Sympathy greeting card.

Just be glad I didn't do my version of Naked Hill Troll.

All in all, I can heartily recommend Magic 2010 as a perfect jumping-on point for the game. It’s hard to imagine any gamer who enjoys clever duel mechanics not enjoying the play experience that Magic provides. With this set, you have an opportunity to learn why classic cards have become classics, and a chance to learn the strengths of the new cards at the same time as the veterans.

I should take a moment to talk about the rule changes that Magic 2010 brings into the game. Being new to the game, I can’t really speak on this with great authority, so I’ll hand over to a veteran player who has played competitively, and knows his shit.

David Whitelaw, of the Sonic’s Ring podcast:

“Let’s not kid ourselves here – the new rule changes introduced with the launch of M2010 have been contentious to say the least. Out of the seven made, everyone seems to be happily in agreement with six of them. Altering the rules of the likes of mana burn makes perfect sense. I have played Magic for five or six years now to a decent standard and out of many thousands, I can count on two hands the number of games where mana burn has been relevant.

But as Bergman suggested, it’s the seventh one that is going to cause problems. Combat in MTG is a wee bit difficult to get your head around initially and the most complicated aspect is the infamous stack. After you attacked, your opponent blocked and everyone was happy, there was a phase where damage went on the stack. Before resolving the damage players could do stuff. In a simple example, it was very common to see a player put damage on the stack then Unsummon their own creature so it could live to fight another day while your opponent’s hit the graveyard.

Now damage resolves instantaneously once everyone is happy with attackers and blockers. A lot of people are suggesting that Wizards have dumbed the game down with this rule change. I disagree with this completely. Under the old rules, if you knew what you were doing, decisions were very obvious – damage went on the stack then you played out whatever trick you had. Now, if we consider my earlier example, you are forced to think through whether to trade creatures or simply stop the damage and then replay your guy.

All that we are seeing here is a knee-jerk reaction to change. People hate change and none more so than MTG players. In my opinion, the changes made to the blocking rules force you to think more deeply about what you do with your resources in game while decision making becomes that much more complex and important. And yet Wizards have achieved this while also removing arguably the most complex, non-intuitive concept new players have to get their head around while learning Magic. It’s a win-win situation.”

I’d like to weigh in on the combat/damage thing here too. The changes that have been made with Magic 2010 might be causing some debate, but the game now plays the way I kinda sorta thought it already did play. Or at least the way it already should. The way it works now seems to be common sense stuff. If I have to explain the game to another player, it’s easier to do now. It makes more sense now. I can see that some little rules exploits and card-combo tactics might be eliminated by the change, but in a gameplay sense, to the new guy sitting here, that old way of playing seems a little bit cheap. The instantly resolving damage moves decision-making to the forefront, and makes the combat more proactive than reactive.

Enough blethering.

Magic 2010 is the gateway that I said the game needed in my last article. It’s here now, and it’s great. Get it ordered and we can shoot the shit about it here on the site.

GamePride: A New Momentum in Gaming – Part 1

You don’t know this yet, but a lot of amazing people play games.

In my time, I’ve seen one prevalent attitude among gamers. We cower a little. We hide our incredible lights under the most baskety of bushels. We seek solace in shady corners of the internet, to discuss games with people like ourselves. We are insecure. We project our insecurities, expecting other people to think we are, at best, “eccentric.” At worst, “a sad sack.”

Despite our hobbies being very social things, we equate our interests with an antisocial lifestyle. We make jokes about not “getting a girlfriend” despite most of us having one, and many of us being female or gay. Or both.

We perpetuate a stereotype. We do it. No-one else does. One glance at a google image search and I can find a photo of a gamer:

He loves Agricola, Dominion and plays Xbox 360

But this guy isn’t a gamer. I’ve just found someone who fits into our collective perverse idea of what a gamer looks like. This guy is an innocent pawn in our terrible game.

It ends now.

It is time for something that speaks to all gamers, be they board gamers, card gamers, pen and paper RPGamers or video gamers.

GamePride is here.

SO WHAT IS GAMEPRIDE?

Good question, although there’s no need to shout.

GamePride is a concept. It’s the idea that people who play games should be proud of their hobby orientation. It’s the notion that we should let nothing change our interests, and that we should no longer ghettoise ourselves in the pursuit of our pastime.

In practical terms, what does this mean?

It means that each of us commit to taking three vital steps:

1. We no longer self-deprecate as a defence mechanism.

2. We actively promote our interests with pride.

and vitally

3. If we aren’t out, we come out. And we out others.

Now, I understand that point three may cause some debate. Let’s imagine you are, for example, the recording artist Usher.

The recording artist and muscleman Usher

The common belief right now is that it would be bad business for Usher to come out and say that he is a gamer. We would imagine that Usher would not benefit greatly from stopping during one of his R&B ballads to tell the front row that the worker placement in Round 13 of Agricola is very stressful, or that the launch of Battlefield 1943 on Xbox Live Arcade was fraught with bugs and annoyances. But we are wrong. Usher’s audience would not care that he enjoys slipping collectable cards into protective sleeves. Indeed, Usher’s audience would likely want to assist with the sleeving, while undressed.

Becoming one with the new momentum, in our new reality Usher “comes out” as a gamer, and all is well.

Now, onto the outing of others. It is perhaps the most controversial aspect of the GamePride movement, but it is essential. Some people will have been brainwashed into thinking there is an element of embarassment in admitting what they are. Left to their own devices, these people will never come to the realisation that ourselves and Usher came to. These people will need a push. So, inform on anyone you know to be gamer, and all will be well.

The Role of Celebrity

As crass as it may seem, the realist accepts that celebrities can normalise activities simply by openly participating in them. The knowledge that a known or notable person participates in the same things you hold dear warms the heart. Let’s look at a few examples.

On the website BoardGameGeek, it is heartening to see Star Trek:TNG star Wil Wheaton exhibiting his GamePride by openly registering his interest in board games. We know from his profile that even this young man below–

Wesley Crusher - never the same since The Game

–has wanted to kick the shit out of his friends during a game of Junta.

Another example – the internet hurrah caused by the beautiful Mila Kunis’ bold exhibition of her GamePride during an interview with Jimmy Kimmel.

Now, we can pretend that celebrities have no bearing on our lives if we wish. But let’s be honest – celebrities have a huge part to play in any movement. They have a voice, and people want to listen. If you or I were to advise someone to try a game of Scotland Yard, we’d maybe have a struggle on our hands. If the lady below–

–suggested that someone sit down with her and take her on in a sealed booster draft game of Magic: The Gathering, she’d probably have no shortage of opponents.

One of our first goals, then, is to encourage gamers who are in positions of celebrity and influence to come out in support of GamePride. We will use all means at our disposal to do this. Ideally, these people will come here and profess their pride. In the comments section below. But any statement of GamePride will do. This will start the ball rolling in a big way.

And we need big balls right now.

It is time to make a stand for GamePride. There is a comments section below that will allow further discussion on the GamePride movement, and more articles will follow detailing further steps in this radical campaign.

If you’re reading this, you’re a gamer who has been fortunate enough to get in at the very start of something historic. You are a pioneer in the GamePride movement. A new momentum in gaming.

And here is our mark. Our flag. Wear it well.

The Red and Green OXO of GamePride

Magic 2010 – This Week

As Michael Jackson said: “This is it.”

This week sees the release of Magic 2010, the new core set for Magic: The Gathering. It’s the eleventh core set altogether, and the first since the start of it all to feature new cards.

This week’s big launch is being staged as a jumping on point for new Magic players, so why not do as I did and try the game out? You might be surprised.

The game lands (Basic Lands, most likely) on the 17th, so that’s THIS FRIDAY. Hopefully I can get my hands on the new set – if I do, I’ll knock up a review from the perspective of a new player, and then we can get chatting with some veterans in the comments section.

“This is it.”

Into The Magic Circle

Magic: The Gathering.

Somehow, the game managed to pass me by. When the game was launched, back in the early nineties, it coincided with the first bloom of my interest in girls. I was a late starter. I was past sixteen before it even registered that I was a pupil of a school (All Saints Secondary School in Glasgow, fact fans/stalkers) where every girl had a thing for tiny skirts and thigh-high black socks. All of a sudden, there was only one thing I wanted to tap, and it wasn’t a Land Card. Tap? Get it? Just getting the obvious jokes out of the way early doors. (Oh, by the way, I don’t want anyone thinking I was some gigolo type in school. I lost my virginity at 19. A late starter, I told you.)

By that age, my board game buying had slowed. I remember buying the Army of Darkness board game. One of my last purchases before video games stole me away. It was an awful thing. Terrible cheap components. A cash-in designed to exploit young guys like me who would buy anything with Bruce Campbell on the front. It was one of the last straws. Girls and music and video games had lit a fire in me. Board games and pen and paper RPGs? They’d just become so unsexy.

Magic never had a chance. I think the first time I saw people play Magic was in a little shop upstairs in DeCourcy’s Arcade in Glasgow’s Cresswell Lane. I was in buying Funkadelic and Parliament CDs. And there, in the corner, were guys my age sitting at tables playing cards. I actually remember asking someone what was going on.

Me: So what’s the script here?
Young guy: They’re playing Magic.
Me: They’re playing what?
Young guy: Magic. It’s a card battle game.
Me: Is it?

And with that “Is it?” I remember that I was chuckling on the inside. Guys my age playing “card battle games”? When there was funk to listen to and girls to pursue? I was a traitor to the cause back then. Going through that “put away childish things” phase. Pretending I wasn’t the total geek you see before you today.

And so it went on. Fleeting glimpses of Magic: The Gathering matches in comic shops. Overheard discussions of the latest cards in video game shops. I rolled my eyes every time. And yet I’d never even held a Magic card in my hand, never mind knew what the game was or how it played.

Until this weekend just past.

I was in a Borders book shop on Saturday. My girlfriend was browsing, looking for a Father’s Day gift. I was drawn to the SALE section, as ever. And there, alongside some terrible celebrity cookery books and overpriced wooden bookmarks, was Magic. Booster packs. Loads of them. Reduced from two quid fifty to a pound a pop.

A pound. Only a pound. And my days of shameful eye-rolling at things that were actually aimed at people like me were long behind me.

I picked up a booster pack. I only knew it was a booster pack because it said BOOSTER PACK on the front. The trouble was… it didn’t say anything else. Sure, it had a name on it – this one was MAGIC: THE GATHERING – LORWYN BOOSTER PACK. Whatever the hell that is. But it didn’t tell me anything. It didn’t tell me what I needed to play. It didn’t tell me whether it was an expansion thing or a main game thing or if you could mix the boosters or how many boosters were needed to play a game or anything or anything or ANYTHING. But a pound a pack is a bargain, right?

I made a phone call. Phoned Kenny, asked him to do some Googling for me. “Find out if you can mix all the boosters, if you can use different types together.” I rang him back five minutes later. It was a tentative yes. Good enough for me. A pound a pack is a bargain, right? Sure. Of course it is.

I bought 26 packs. The guy behind the counter looked at me with an “Is it?” in his eyes.

Home, with almost 300 cards to open and sort through. Excited. Seriously excited. People like us, board gamers, geeks, nerds, we love opening shit, right? I open one pack. It’s all jibber-jabber. I haven’t a clue what I’m looking at. Lovely art, though.

I look at what’s written on the card. Sure. A Simic Guildmage. We all know what that is, right? A little bit of panic creeps in. I have no idea what I’ve just spent almost thirty quid on.

Then I remember that months ago I picked up a Magic starter set thing when I saw that on sale. I dig it out. There’ll be rules inside, right? There is. A big poster-sized sheet. I spread the thing on the table. I scan the rules. Seems simple enough. I check through the cards that come with the starter pack.

“ENOUGH CARDS TO GET YOU STARTED!” it says. And then casually mentions that there’s only really enough for two smaller-sized limited starter decks, fella. And those decks aren’t actually the proper things at all. Oh, and you’ll have to get out and buy more to make proper decks and stuff, fella. But, yeah, in the meantime “ENOUGH CARDS TO GET YOU STARTED!” Kind of.

I read about Land Cards. You need to tap land cards to cast spells and summon creatures. You need to play and tap Land Cards. Land Cards seem to be the key. I check how many I have.

I have 24 Land Cards. I have 26 pounds worth of booster packs. Almost 300 cards. And only 24 Land Cards. Now, when you bear in mind that my original plan was to buy all these cheap cards and then have fun constructing a couple of good decks for myself and my girlfriend to play with, this Land Card thing becomes a total bastard.

I’m confused again. I re-read the rules. How was I to know you need Land Cards aplenty before you can play the game properly? Is it so wrong to assume that if you buy HUNDREDS of cards you might be able to…you know…PLAY THE FUCKING GAME?

This is me realising I'm light on Land Cards

Have no sympathy for me, though. A man should always take care to inform himself before entering a new world. I didn’t do that, and I paid the price. And it’s karma, for all those times I rolled my eyes.

The game itself? I feel like I have a handle on how it works. Not by playing with the actual cards, of course. (Because, and you may have heard this story, I don’t have enough Land Cards to make decent decks.) But by playing the trial version of the recently released Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers Xbox Live Arcade game. There’s a tutorial in there, and I’ve let it lead me through the basics. And you know what? It looks like Magic might actually be a wonderful game.

It just isn’t an easy game to start. It feels like a world that’s difficult to force your way into. It’s difficult to know what to buy first, or how to tailor your purchases so that you have enough game to be getting on with. I’ve often heard people saying the game’s a money pit. And I’ve always thought “yeah, you just have no self-control.” And yet here I am, with all these lovely cards, and no way to play without shelling out more cash for a couple of theme decks or starter packs or-

And see? There we go again. I don’t actually know what my next step is. I don’t actually know what I’m doing yet. I’m mystified. Baffled. Worried.

Worried because last night I opened a pack and a beautiful shiny thing came out. A shiny foil card. A forspecial. I held it under a lamp and watched it shimmer. For a moment, it seemed to have just as much appeal as any funk CD or thigh-high sock. It was beautiful. Magical. And I knew I wanted more.

What can I tell you? I’m a late starter.