There are so many aspects of Magic: the Gathering that one could never learn by just buying cards or packs or premade decks. Phrases like “metagame” or “topdeck” can’t be derived from any piece of cardboard. Concepts like “who’s the beatdown?” and “mana curve” are an intrinsic part of the game, but then again, they aren’t really. I’ve met people who have been playing Magic since the 90s, and have no idea that there’s this larger world beyond their kitchen table. Nowadays it seems Twitter is as much a part of Magic as Fat Packs and promo foils, because of the community the game has cultivated.
I, like most people, started as a casual deck builder and player, building decks out of whatever cards I had or could find. I started playing in 1994. It wasn’t until 2005 that I realized the Pro Tour was a thing. I never thought to look. Of course, now I understand that there’s a pro-level competition for just about everything (thank you Twitch.tv for enlightening me).
My friends and I didn’t follow any particular format rules until 2006. I still miss my mono-blue deck. I named it “The Academy” (not Tommi Hovi’s Academy Deck though) because that was the deck I used to school my enemies… and because I ran four copies of Tolarian Academy. Hey, at least I was able to recognize a good card back then. I remember building a mono-red Goblin deck back in the day after my friends bought me a giant box of random cards off ebay. That deck was lightning fast. My friends didn’t know how to handle it. Later on I discovered that the Goblin deck I built was only a few cards different than the stock build of Legacy Goblins that dominated the format at that time. Apparently the person who was selling off his collection on ebay had that Goblin deck built at one point. Again, I was quite happy with myself for recognizing good cards and strong synergies between the cards.
It should surprise no one who knows me well that I like to win. I enjoy winning more than anything else vis-à-vis Magic: the Gathering, with one exception: the absolutely amazing awesomeness of the game. I once made 300 saproling tokens and then played Overrun. Once I cast Fanning the Flames with buyback three times in the same turn to kill my three opponents who were all sitting on 20 life (thanks to the Tolarian Academy AND the Gaea’s Cradle I had in play). A few times I managed a turn 1 Tinker into Darksteel Colossus.
That’s what I’m talking about: the absolutely amazing awesomeness. Yes, I am a Timmy. I’m also a Spike. These – along with Johnny – are what Mark Rosewater refers to as psychographic profiles of players. It’s yet another one of those concepts that have become an essential component of the game that you can’t learn from the physical game itself, or even by reading all 209 pages of the comprehensive rules.
Big up to Vorthos and Melvin. We’ll talk about them later (I am also equally a Vorthos, btw).
My desire to win (my Spike) often conflicts with my desire to play with awesome things and do awesome things (my Timmy). Usually Spike wins, which probably means I’m more Spike than Timmy, but Timmy never goes away. In the end, both need to be satisfied for me to be happy.
I’ve been struggling with Standard lately. Last two tournaments ended rather poorly for me, and I know why: Spike and Timmy have been clashing. The Standard format is the healthiest it’s been in a long time. There are plenty of different deck options. The format isn’t the problem. I’m the problem. “It’s not you. It’s me.”
It took me a long time to find a deck that satisfies my Timmy side. Thanks to Whisperwood Elemental, I think I’ve finally found it:
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx has been my substitute for Tolarian Academy in my Commander decks since Theros was released. With my R/G Devotion deck, Nykthos helped me hit an opponent for 20 damage on turn 6. It was the first and only time I dealt damage to him. In another game I ended up with 12 Manifest creatures after another guy tried to clear the board with End Hostilities. I’ve swung for lethal with a gigantic Polukranos or a massive Genesis Hydra on a number of occasions. Oh, and don’t forget about daddy big boss Ugin, the Spririt Dragon. It’s full of all the absolutely amazing awesomeness Timmy craves, and (so far) it’s been competitive enough to keep Spike from grumbling too much (Spike always grumbles a little bit).
When it comes to Magic, what do you get really excited about? What makes you keep coming back to the game?
Bud Johnson
MTG Philosopher 
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