This is a Magic: The Gathering thread, because I am not proud.

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I loved this.

No.

I love this. When I was on summer camp, the kids still played. And they'd call on me to resolve stupid stack rule disputes 'cos they heard I played a bunch back when I was their age, way back when all this was multilands. I love how it's grown with the new cards, becoming exponentially more gorgeously self-involved with each expansion, all the hundreds of beautiful hidden link-up that must be in those 4000 cards now, unseen by anyone. I love how when I quit I thought the collectors and balancers (balance!) had won, that we'd never see strong cards again, but that now I walk to a table and see Hypnotic Specter, Kird Ape, right back reintroduced, unweakened. I love how one of my kids was a state champion, and that the decks he showed me were so intricate, focussed, deep, compared to the ones I'd known. I love how a fifteen year can be a state champion, still, at this.

I love Apprentice. I love Duels of the Planeswalkers. I love the old nineties game, with shandalar. Shandalar!

Don't get me started on cards I love.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 27 September 2005 18:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I had an entire segment of friends from college who were madly into this; they were all two years behind me. I think they managed to turn it into a drinking game.

― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 27 September 2005 19:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I only played the old "Let's tack a story onto a lot of battles" computer game. I don't know what version it was, just that I learned to fear (and love)

http://www.wizards.com/global/images/magic/beta/Serra_Angel.jpg

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 27 September 2005 19:24 (twenty-one years ago)

two weeks pass...

I played briefly around The Dark/Fallen Empires, then realized I couldn't afford it and stopped.

Three months ago, I got curious and went to see what ten years of change had done to the game. My GOD. There's stuff out there I never would have thought would happen-- cards that have effects when you discard them, bizarre alternate win conditions, and timing rules so well-defined that the game actually makes sense. I bought a shoebox full of commons on eBay to play with my housemates, and it's still fun. A little too much fun...

― SFF, Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:53 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, the new stuff is SO AMAZING! I stopped playing when Homelands came out 'cos there was a pretty clear trend towards weakening stuff, it seemed like the game was sorta petering out, but now! I don't even *understand* half the decks that win things anymore, they're these exquisite chain-combo works of art.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 13 October 2005 16:09 (twenty years ago)

I will admit to loving this game in middle school, which was basically right after the very beginning. I put it down at the beginning of high school.

I will also admit to a secret curiousity about the computer versions, which might provide a fun game without the stigma?

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 13 October 2005 16:15 (twenty years ago)

Jordan the old-school Shandalar games are GREAT! Seriously, they have like a plot and shit, loads of numbers go up, you get to make decks and play em and all that stuff, probably they're even abandonware by now.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 14 October 2005 03:35 (twenty years ago)

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