Magic: Why I Play

Magic was the first 'nerdy' thing I started playing (waaaayyyyy back in the day), so I figured it would be a fitting starting point.  I remember when I first started, my deck would be mono-green with twenty creatures, twenty buffs (enchantments, Giant Growths, etc.), and twenty lands.  And I lost.  And I lost.  And I lost some more.

And I couldn't figure out why I just couldn't win.

Nobody had taught me about the strategy of the game.  All I did was pick up a starter deck and learn the rules.  I didn't understand that I needed to be able to get around defences.  I didn't understand that I needed to ramp up my mana faster.  I didn't understand the meta-game.  I hadn't even heard of that term yet.

I just didn't understand...

But I was enjoying myself all the same!

Now, however, I understand most all of the above.  I may never be a pro-tour player, but I feel fairly confident in my abilities.  I know that the older cards I use give me a slight advantage in play against people who haven't played as long, but I also don't go and buy everything from the new set that just came out.  The game has changed in many ways since I started playing.  Planeswalkers, equipment, colored artifacts...I greeted them all with suspicion when I first saw them.  Now I find some of them almost indispensable.  But none of them really changed the way I play.  What changed the way I play was understanding the basics.

Did I use mana-Elves before?  Nope.  Tranquility style enchantment-B-gone?  Not a chance.  Anything to disrupt my opponents plan?  Nah.

Now?  I have four Dark Rituals in my favorite deck.  Counterspells and Terminates.  Cards to force discards and milling cards as well.  Add in some search like Liliana and Diabolic Rituals, throw in a self-sustaining zombie horde, and mix well.

Though I still have a soft spot for green, I guess I've gone to the darker side of Magic.  It's amazing how much a little bit of the basics change the game.