Fun Times With Magic: The Gathering, Part One

Tonight, I'll be attending the Fate Reforged prerelease at my FLGS (Halflings' Hideaway). Fate Reforged is the second set in the Khans of Tarkir block for Magic: The Gathering. This will actually be my first prerelease event, having never attended one during my relatively short time with the game several years ago. Due to the presence of a FLGS nearby and new friends who are entrenched in the nearly 23 year old game, I've found myself playing again.

Like most Magic players, I can remember when I discovered the game. Back in 2005, after playing numerous other trading card games, I finally decided to give the industry juggernaut a try after watching some kids play it during lunch time at school. They had just released a new block, Ravnica: City of Guilds, and I purchased one of the four intro decks (Dimir Intrigues, the Blue/Black intro deck) and a few boosters. I enjoyed the game immensely, trying out different colors and ideas, having a blast with my friends. 

Unfortunately, I stopped playing shortly after Coldsnap, focusing on other games (mostly D&D). I had a short resurgence during the Scars of Mirrodin block due to a friend purchasing a deck builder's toolkit for me, but that didn't last long because I didn't have anyone to play with and I believe the only store near me that ran an Friday Night Magic (FNM) had shut its doors shortly before that. 

However, that all changed last year when Halflings' Hideaway opened. I resisted the urge to get back into the game for the longest time, but that didn't last very long. I finally caved, picking up another deck builder's toolkit and slowly started piecing together a Green/Red standard deck. 

I had to relearn the game, due to the new mechanics of the current sets (Theros & Khans), learn how to properly build a deck, and I started going to FNM on a regular basis. I didn't win many matches at first and I made a lot of obvious mistakes, but I've slowly gotten better over the past few months. Heck, I actually managed to place 4th in one of the standard tournaments, which is definitely an accomplishment in my book. 

Now, I can definitely count myself as a Magic fan. I enjoy cracking new packs, building new decks, playing against my friends, and learning more about the game and its history. I still make some mistakes and I'm definitely not the best player, but I have fun and that's all that matters really. 

So, if you're in the East Texas area and happen to be a Magic player, drop by Halflings' Hideaway this evening for FNM and the prerelease event at Midnight. There should still be some slots open, and it's only $25 bucks for a couple of packs and some fun times playing a fun game.

Those who are interested in hearing about my experiences with the Fate Reforged prerelease can read about them in Part Two.