Hey all~!

Long time lurker, first time card owner (2019, just weeks before Thrones of Eldraine).

Since I noticed Magic cards for the first time in elementary school, I have always been drawn to the idea of competitive card games. This particular exposure to the game was around 1996-99.

It was a tight-knit group of people, very discreet about the game but very passionate once playing. I'd watch games play out, not fully understanding the rules but seeing the board build and evolve. Games were fairly even and brief, just the right amount of time to fit in multiple games during lunch hour. As a kid around this time I didn't have the money to spend on cards and when I did start earning decent money, most of it would go to video games.

However, my exposure didn't stop there.

I would get to play Magic themed video games such as MTG: Battlegrounds around 2005. With severely limited knowledge of the card game, I'd enjoy the charming but limited mechanics. It was a blast to play locally with a friend on PC or Xbox, but I could see why it wouldn't appeal to the fans of the standard format.

Every time I'd consider entering the MTG card game as a serious player, the subject of investment would enter my mind. To have something that would be remotely competitive, I imagined that I would have to spend hundreds, if not thousands to keep up. It was something I realized later was completely untrue, but my focus shifted regardless.

What brought me back around was the combination of Card games, Video games and eSports.

While I would never consider myself even close to the realm of playing for eSports, I loved watching videos of analysis and commentary. While initially through Starcraft and Starcraft 2, this eventually branched out to DOTA, League of Legends and Hearthstone.

Hearthstone while not exactly like MTG, reminded me of the fun I experienced when watching friends in school play competitive magic. It was easy to pick up and learn, the animations were fun and vibrant and the initial price point was super cheap. What started as fun dabbling for an hour or two turned into a full day commitment, driven not only by the desire to win but to unlock new cards and experiment with new decks.

I stuck with it for a little over a year, still desiring to share this passion with friends or family.

The problem, as with many in this situation, is that I didn't know many who were interested. I had just finished college around this time and most of my friends were busy hustling for positions in their field or not really interested. However, I did find some people who seemed like they would be open to playing with me.

These people were intensely passionate about the game, but that intensity also translated into ensuring that they would win at all costs. They made no effort to teach the broader mechanics of the game to myself or any of the other friends who happened to be interested and would construct extremely one-sided decks negating all fun or desire to continue playing. And yes, this was at least a small handful of people. They meant well, but I took it as a sign of casual gate-keeping.

For a while, I stuck with Hearthstone until I lost interest in keeping up with expansions. Thankfully, I never lost interest in Magic.

I'd keep playing the digital versions of MTG for the meantime. MTG: Duels of the Planeswalkers from 2014 and 2015 and Duels in 2016.

When MTG Arena released, I played it semi-regularly. I enjoyed the game but felt that the real thing would be so much better.

Sure enough, I find out that my brother's partner: kristbg has been playing MTG for the better part of 20 years. On a whim, one small conversation turned into a small shared universe of stories and experiences. That lead to an in-person 4 member FFA that was as dramatic as it was hilarious. While not quite Commander, it introduced me to the format.

Within days, I purchased a copy of Merciless Rage with a Satin Tower and two sets of sleeves. I waited in anticipation to play a game with Anje Falkenrath. I watched videos, read articles, thought about augmentation and deck building, I even read an eBook to build my knowledge of the game, strategy and its various formats.

Sure enough, Merciless Rage performed well beyond my expectations and augmenting the deck smoothed out all of the rough edges.

I'm excited to revise that further over time as well as create something just as satisfying with K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth.

Here's looking forward to new and exciting adventures.