Hello everyone,
I know I have been away from this blog for a long time, and there’s a reason for that. Why write about Magic when it doesn’t make you happy? Why write when you have nothing good to say? However today it is time for me to lay all of that out and finally close this chapter on my life. You read that right. I am leaving the game. To be more accurate the game left me a long time ago, and I didn’t notice until recently.
This blog though is not going anywhere. I will be rebranding this blog soon to talk about other things, but as far as Magic: The Gathering is concerned there will be no further blog posts after today about the game.
What I say going forward may cause you to cringe. You may worry about me (and I appreciate), but trust me I am ok…or going to be. The kid gloves are off. This is cathartic, and has to be said. Also know that I never had a playgroup. A group of people to gather and play on a regular basis, or test for events. Once I was done with FNM my deck went on the shelf until the following week more often than not so no time was spent even thinking of making any changes between FNMs (especially in recent years). One should not have to make Magic my job if they want to get good at it, and one should not be good at Magic to have their opinions deemed valid by some members of the community.
So What Happened
In short there was no longer a place for me within the game. Once I came to that conclusion, I started shutting down various social media outlets I made under my MTGPackFoils handle, left various Discord channels, and unsubscribed from every Magic: The Gathering content I followed regardless of what platform it was on. I went scorched Earth with all of it. Drastic? You may think so, but keep in mind my relationship with this game predates my marriage, and my 30th anniversary is next year. For what the game has become, and what I am seeing it do to peers (especially financially) I cannot and will not be a part of this anymore.
I should have left after Modern Horizons 2 was released. Never before has a set dropped that completely made everything before it irrelevant. Collections lost value both in ability to play and financially. I fought against the grain, but by the time I finally built a deck that was “acceptable” by my peers I was already behind the curve. No longer could I simply play whatever I wanted to play (which is how I engaged with the game prior to the 2020). I had no interest in competition, nor drive to reach The Pro Tour. At my age being married, having a house, two cars paid off, and raised a kid, those things were far greater achievements than flinging cardboard for cash prizes (or in the case of FNM store coupons) would ever be. However the more I held on to those beliefs the more I felt alone.
I even went to MagicCon Chicago in 2024 hoping to reignite some sense of joy in this hobby. Outside of the one out of town friend I knew there, and the content creators I was able to meet and thank for their work in person, I really should not have went. If you’re not playing for a spot on the Pro Tour, or playing a side event for a prize, then your only other non-Limited casual play option in stores is Commander. Why?
Commander Should Not Be The Only Way To Play Casually At Stores (or anywhere)
No matter how much I expressed my concerns about the game, and how unpleasant things were getting for me, increasingly my peers would say: “have you tried Commander?” I used to play a lot back when I played Standard during the Innistrad through Theros eras of Magic. Usually on Saturday nights, and after Standard was done. After a few years of not playing I did pick it up again going to a different store in my area. While there are a few store near me that host Commander nights one does so on Fridays and consistently packs 40 players in it (if not more). It just wasn’t the same as playing non-Commander FNM though. Having a consistent large community was nice, but it still didn’t fit my needs. When I play Magic I want to have fun. I don’t care about winning at all cost. I don’t care if I’m not playing optimal cards. I also give absolutely zero fucks about Universes Beyond cards. Just because something is new does not mean it’s “good”. Add that on top of the non-stop conversations about not wanting to play against certain Commanders and the game lost all of it’s fun. No matter how I tried to phrase my pre-game conversations I would always get a groan. Here’s an example: “I have a combo deck based around a card type that when I combo it is with the intent to end the game around no sooner than turn 7 or 8. I also have a graveyard matters deck, and a tribal aggro deck. Which would you like to play against?” If they say combo I break out Narset, Enlightened Master (or Breya, Etherium Shaper) while my graveyard deck would be Meren Clan of Nel Toth and aggro would be Edgar Markov. If I built a deck, and liked it, why change just because a new commander in those colors or style of deck came out? Seeing players ask me to change decks only for them to change, and win on turn 5 with their combo deck just comes off as (some) players only wanting to win in a format where there are no stakes. No prizes for winning. No bracket advancement. Nothing. If being so focused on winning in a casual environment causes others to not have fun then what cost is that victory? This store even had players who would show up only playing Commander (as in never played any other format) having maybe only the precon, and not know about any of the other cards. I would then watch as the person across from me with the most powerful deck at the table would just dismantle the other two opponents who looked on with glazed eyes. What are we doing? Are we not that cognizant of the environment that we don’t always have a preconstructed deck with us? Or a low power deck? The same toxicity was there at times (and not just at that store but anywhere I played Commander), but just different. The behaviors by some (hopefully former) members of the community over which cards were banned was also something I did not want to be associated with anymore.
Stating Subjective Opinions As If They Are Objective
When I play Magic if I see cards that work together, and I enjoy playing them, I am reluctant to change. I’m not trying to make the Pro-Tour. Hell I don’t even have interest in winning an RCQ. I’ve played the game long enough that when I draw certain cards or choose certain decks there is a history behind that choice. Anytime I play Bloodbraid Elf I think back to all the other times, even in Standard, I played the card. When I cast Tarmogoyf I remember when people trashed the card back in Future Sight only to see it become a flagship card for Modern. Snapcaster Mage gives me the ability to replay many cards I have previously played. Then there are all the times I turn all of my Elves sideways. Damn that’s fun. Those are just a few examples as there are many more. Just because something is “old” doesn’t mean it’s bad. Imagine swapping out your car every year, or your cell phone. Imagine getting a new pair of shoes every three months because the ones you have “rotated”. That seems abnormal, right? Then why do we do that with Magic? No one, and I mean NO ONE, is telling you to do so. If you’re wanting to win the next RCQ, or are overall aiming for the Pro-Tour then this doesn’t apply to you, but then I ask why the hell are you at FNM? This is a CASUAL rules enforcement level, but you are seeking a COMPETITIVE environment. This is supposed to be a gateway for new players to hone their skills under a non-punishing rules enforcement and/or an event to just gather as a community. If the only people who show up to FNM are those that are treating it like a pre-RCQ then you’re not really welcoming to those who wish to expand their horizons and get more connected with the community overall. By having this siloed “win or else” vibe it comes across as unwelcoming. I don’t know how many times I have seen new players enter FNM, play a few rounds, and leave because they are getting pubstomped. I can see on their faces that they regret being at the store at all. They don’t come back. It’s also made worse when others make comments about perceived sub-optimal card choices. No one gives a fuck about your thoughts or asked for them. You’re too meager to understand their reality so go take yourself the hour and a half trip back to your home in Indiana and stop mooching off the store’s generosity. You’re not good enough to win the Pro-Tour anyway. We know. We’ve seen you and your shark friends on coverage. You’re as much of a nobody as you make others feel with your attitude, and yes I do like “sportsball”.
Too often have I come across people who suggest I run the newest cards, and when I ask why all I get is “because it’s good”. That’s subjective. If a card is truly that good then it would lead me undefeated to the Pro-Tour, right? If I’m going to invest my free time, and money, into changing to something I don’t want to do then it should be worth it, right? Do you all know that some of the best players in the world don’t even win 60% of their games? Why are we so focused on duplicating their efforts that provide such a low winning percentage instead of trying to find our own path? For an intellectual game it sure does lead to a lot of non-thinking from many. Why? Do you know that many of those truly great players don’t even attend FNM? They’re usually at home getting practice on Magic Online (or Arena) so they can record and review their plays later. They also test together in groups in person away from stores so they can craft hands and work through experiences with new cards, or unfamiliar sideboard play patterns. Many of them are also good people. So why only try to emulate their deck choice when everything else that makes them a winner holds so much more value?
The Hypocrisy And The Entitlement
Have you ever had someone who immediately comments on everything you say, and is always critical? Always pissing on your joy? Someone who will with one hand champion the cause to “let people like things” and then turn around and just take a shit on your excitement over a new card (especially a planeswalker)? Yeah. It sucks. I saw you at Magic Con 2024 in Chicago. I thought about saying hello, but I didn’t. You were by yourself, and looked lonely. Is your life that miserable that you chose to take me down with you? Even blocking you on Discord wasn’t enough. I hope every time you see your Bills lose you will understand you brought the misery you experience upon yourself. Do better, and if you truly want to let people enjoy what they like then fucking let them. THAT is more metal than you will know.
Then there’s the entitlement. I have had a player tell me not only that a store’s FNM payout was a “shitty business practice” but that they should increase payout if they want more people to show. That’s not how that works. Especially when all they want is a way to show up, win two games, lose only one, and intentionally draw the last round so they can get enough store credit to never pay for entry again. This is on top of rarely, if ever, buying singles from that store anyway. If you’re not willing to support the store financially then why should they support you? I gave you several real examples of how getting more people opens up opportunities for more for those who attend, but you didn’t want to listen. Well I won’t miss you tilting every time the deck you choose to play does not play as well in your hands as it does that of someone on the Pro-Tour. I didn’t want to block you, but you gave me no choice. Notice how the store you play at now changed their payout based on attendance, and often times the payout was similar to the store you said has “shitty business practices”? That’s called karma. Hopefully you learned that lesson, but you probably punted that too.
I Was Lied To
I could add on to my disgust at Universes Beyond, how WotC could be expanding on the current roster of in-house diverse characters flushing out their stories instead of wasting time putting another IP above their own branding, how hypocritical it is of many in the community who are anti-capitalism to get on board with this product line, and talk about how one day during Modern Horizons 2 previews the pitch elementals (Solitude, Subtlety, et al) were made to answer the faster threats of Modern to then turn around and preview Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer the next day, but I won’t. Instead I’ll talk about being lied to. By WotC. In recent years I have felt quite observant, and have been able to predict some things (card bannings, predicting the formation of what became Pioneer, Universes Beyond increasing and coming to Standard, and more). So one day I had a thought that the triangle at the bottom of the cards to indicate which cards were and were not truly Magic card was going to be changed to an oval. So I posed this question.
A few days go by and we get out first look at cards from this upcoming Spider-Man set. There was no time from when Mark Rosewater read my question, and provided an answer, that something in regards to the printing of these cards changed. There is no one in his position that he would not have seen the final images of the cards before sent to the printer. Zero chance. If things DID change after he answered me then there is something seriously wrong within WotC. No company should work like this. No company should lie to it’s customers either, but here we are. You can trash your brand, you can pander to an audience who is perpetually online, but you can’t lie. That’s hard to come back from. It may be unforgiveable. You have a product that’s been successful for over 30 years, and a single lie can break that trust. That’s what happened here, and after spending the last few years pushing out your older customers with your decisions I should not be surprised. It was at this point I stopped playing paper. After a few months on Arena I finally uninstalled, and have now left the hobby.
What I Will Miss
With all of that said there are things I will miss. Mainly it’s the people I was able to connect with and develop friendships that expanded outside of Magic. First on that list are the hosts of Magic Mics. If you are not checking out their podcast you should. I had subscribed to them on Patreon for nearly 7 years, and I was going to hold on until I hit that magical 84th month but could not do it. Their Discord channel was the last Magic related thing I left, and it hurt to do so. All of the hosts over the years have been great, and their most recent addition of DeQuan (PowrDragn) has been excellent. His content alone is worth checking out, and in my opinion is a player to model oneself after. Not just playstyle, or card choices, but also demeanor. He is, as the kids say, a good dude. They are all excellent people. Start with Magic Mics, and branch outward from there for more content.
I will also miss Joe. He and I used to do a show together called The Astrolab podcast because we both felt that Arcum’s Astrolabe should be banned. It did get banned. In multiple formats. During the run of our show. From the time we started the show his work in the Legacy and Vintage formats became so popular that he was brought on to MTGGoldFish to write about those formats, and eventually added Pauper. How he juggles those three formats, especially in this era of increased set releases, while still being a husband and a father is just crazy to comprehend. Do yourself a favor and go read his work. I wish I didn’t let these issues in the game get to me, but perhaps it was a sign I needed to leave. I wish I could have been a better co-host with you, and I enjoyed our time making the show.
There are people I have played with who don’t live near me that I have enjoyed out matches, and conversations. A few of these people became online friends. We would chat about other non-Magic things, take selfies when we met at an event, and overall just be good humans towards each other. I’ll really miss seeing these people.
Then there are those locally who I will miss playing against. While there are those who I don’t care to ever see again there will still quite a few friendly faces to chat with, and there were also a few who became friends beyond Magic. There’s one I haven’t seen in over 6 months, and after a decade long friendship I really am missing that connection. I remember telling him at an event years ago how his friendship made my life, and me, a better person. I meant every word. I know as life goes on people can drift apart. There are many from my years in the nightclubs who I wish were as close as we used to be so this is not my first go around with this. It just feels different. Maybe one day we’ll sit down to catch up. We won’t need to play Magic, because the true magic was our friendship.
So there you have it. 3000 words later and it’s all done. I have tapped out for the last time. I will rebrand this blog, or maybe start a new one, that will not be as confined as this is allowing me an avenue to talk about things I think are important let alone enjoyable. In the end I did not ever want to do this, but I felt I had no choice. It wasn’t me, WotC. It was you. It was always you.
RIP MTGPackFoils. Long live me.
The Arcane Sanctum 