Thursday, August 8, 2013

Returning to the Planes of Magic

 by MtgScrounger 

Four swift months. Shaking my head in disbelief, I couldn’t remember when it was exactly when I formally returned to playing MtG. Was it when I started browsing through the spoilers on the net? Or was it when I began collecting cards for a potential standard deck? Or  was it when I started visiting places that are the usual haunts of Mang Jerry or Boss Uly? Hmm…

Having been in a 4-yr hiatus from playing MtG due to personal reasons, I couldn’t help but wonder now what made me come back. I still remember telling my girlfriend four years ago when I disposed most of my MtG cards that I was thankful that I’m able to quit back then. I kept telling myself that even though I disposed of them at very low prices (I’m looking at you darksteel pendant… hehe!), I should be happy that I was able to get off the game. And for the next four years, I guess I was happy despite the lack of it in my life. Besides, I have a lot on my plate back then.

Anyway, a couple of months ago, as I was shopping alone in a mall on Makati, I stumbled on a major MtG event held at the lobby. I couldn’t remember the name of the event, but what stuck on my mind was that the same faces when I left the game were still there. Most of them have added lines on their faces, a couple gained a lot of pounds (especially on their bellies), a few were even wearing judge uniforms but all of them were united under one thought: enjoying MtG. Be it a frown on their faces, or smiles as they attack with creatures, or a casual wave of a hand to call a judge, all the people there were under a feeling of camaraderie. It was a community joined together for the love of the game.

            And that was when I knew that I had to get back.

I missed the feeling of camaraderie shared by players as they banter while playing. I missed the feeling of ‘negotiating’ with our very own entrepreneurs as they try to sell their cards at high prices while buying ours at low rates. And I miss the feeling of victory as an opponent hands over the match record slip with a tight-lipped smile.

A couple of weeks after that, I found myself playing in a pre-release. After taking two packs for my win and a lot of lessons learned because of the new rules that I didn’t know then, familiar faces approached me with questions on their lips.

Some thought I left the country for good, never to return. I just smiled at them.

Some even asked if I still know how to play. I just showed them the prizes that I got.

But most of them asked the same question: Why did I return to playing MtG?

With a twinkle on my eyes and a smile on my face I simply told them the truth. I came back because I wanted to play.
(This article was a repost from an older blog by the same author.)

 


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