In honor of Valentine’s Day, the most sacred of all Holidays (at least if you believe greeting card sales are a good indicator of that sort of thing) Gathering Magic is offering a one-time tutorial on livening up your Magic sessions.  Many of you are in the same boat we were in.  Having been with MTG for some years now things start to get a little… stale.  Hopefully that is the right word, because lord knows you would never leave MTG.  It’s just that some days you feel a little bored, like you have been there and done that too many times. The ’same ol stuff’ just isn’t cutting it any more and that’s okay.  Do not fear, this is perfectly manageable.  A slow decline in drive is natural with any relationship over such a long time.  The key is to keep it fresh.  How do you do that?  It is easier than you might think.

A good first step to changing the way you go about your usual interaction is shaking up the usual rules.  Instead of just shuffling up and getting started at 20 life <…yawn…>, why not try mixing it up.  Elder Dragon Highlander is a perfect way to add a pinch of spice to an otherwise uneventful duel.  And you wouldn’t believe how easy it is to get started because you already have everything you’ll need in your collection (assuming your collection is 100+ cards).  For another inventive change, try Pauper.  You might feel a touch dirty slumming it with these low-brow spells and creature types, but go with it.  Besides, its not like you didn’t fool around with Thrive back in your Limited days.  And when you went out for your last FNM, I bet you felt a strong attraction to Spire Barrage.  Commons can be sexy, as long as you use them in the right moments.  So go ahead and give these formats a whirl, you will be glad you did because your relationship will have a spontaneous feel it had been lacking.

If you have tried to loosen things up with an EDH game or two and the spark just won’t ignite to flame, then more drastic measures are in order.  It is time to invite some friends to join in.  Group sessions are perfect for duelists looking to break out of their shell.  It might be awkward at first, but the multi-player motto is, ‘the more hands the merrier.’  If that sounds like too much, why not start with a few ground rules.  Five-Pointed Star is perfect for beginners just getting used to the idea of sharing their passion with others.  Certain rules are in place to help newbies along in the process.  No attacking across the table or randomly targeting that lone Royal Assassin three players away.  Once you get comfortable with the idea of multiple partners, then it is time to unleash the fury of free-for-all.  As many players as possible shuffling, drawing and going at it.  The only rules that apply are the ones you already know from one-on-one.  In an environment this chaotic, things can get a little heated, so try to keep a level head and simply enjoy the process.  It may take some warming up to, but we guarantee you won’t have another dull match.

Some Magic lovers take their relationship to the extreme.  These variants aren’t exactly for the squeamish, but to those jaded MTGers stuck in lifelong ruts it may be just the thing to snap them out.  You might have heard stories of three-hundred card decks or read about playing all five colors in magazines, but these are more than just rumors.  They are part of a format called Prismatic.  Try Prismatic with somebody you trust, we swear Magic won’t mind a bit.  In fact it could be a great experience for those special times when just dueling isn’t enough.  And who hasn’t had the fantasy of a dedicated elf deck on one mat, with an mirror built angel deck across from it.  Sound familiar?  Fantasize no more because Tribal Wars is something duelists have been enjoying in the privacy of their own games for years.  And don’t be embarrassed, everyone will be too caught up in the moment to notice that Kavu build you just finished sleeving.  Besides, the entire experience is about letting go of boundaries in the first place.  Playing with balanced 60-card decks is something your parents did back in the 50’s, and won’t exactly be keeping that MTG passion flaring.

Of course not everything has to be so extreme.  There are still options that players have with MTG outside the confines of tradition.  Role-playing can add a missing sense of mystery and excitement to your relationship.  Next time you’re thinking about playing, try introducing something like Planechase to the mix.  Planechase or Vanguard use the same decks and the same players to create something entirely unique and exotic.  How do your fae deal with the Depths of Wrath?  Can they take the heat, or will they wilt like flowers in the summer sun?  If Planechase isn’t out of the ordinary enough for you, then Archenemy, WotC ’s latest supplementary product, could be perfect.  Picture you and a few close planeswalkers matching wits with an opposition bent on destroying you all.  Or imagine throwing spells against a few friends, all trying to subdue you at the same time!  Sounds pretty steamy.

Keeping your love affair with Magic ever green is not an easy goal.  There are times when you don’t feel like an eight-player draft, or miss the old days when you and MTG would spend the night together with only a few bags of Doritos to keep you company.   But stay strong, and the relationship will be better for it, even if that means straying from the beaten path once in a while.  After all, isn’t MTG worth trying something new?  We sure think it is.

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(Ed Note: This article is intended not so much for the MTG player, but for whomever may be buying that player’s gifts this Holiday season.  With that in mind, we here at Gathering Magic suggest you print out this page and use it as a sort of x-mas list for duelists.)

These next few weeks people people everywhere will be running around like savages trying to find the perfect gifts for those certain people.  Acquiring the correct fat loots is much easier with some that with others. Meaning, some are much harder to shop for than others.  To combat this tide the internet figuratively blooms with how-to and gift guide lists.  Concise and helpful as they are, these cheat sheets never hit the true Magic: The Gathering gamer.  So the following is a quick and easy tutorial on how to identify which type of player he (or she) is.  And what products would be perfect for them (with both a frugal and a not so frugal option).

Magic 2010 Boosters

The Timmy Scenario - Is your player new to the game?  Did they pick it up within the past year (or two) and play only recreationally with friends?  Are they under the age of 14?  If the answer to these questions is yes, then chances are you are buying for a Timmy.  The pros are they are fairly easy to please and cheap to buy for.  The cons are that a few products may go over their heads or go unappreciated because they are can’t see the beauty that some other duelists might.  Cards and more cards are perfect for Timmy. Don’t worry about which set or how new/old because Timmy will find the cards he likes on his own.  Booster packs (the regular run of the mill card packs) are perfect for this very reason.  He’ll never know what to expect, and likely be satisfied with anything.  Booster packs can be found at just about any large shopping center or online for around $3-$4.  That means there is a sliding scale for price here, depending only on how many you want to buy.  If you have a bit more $$$ to spend, the Dual Decks: Garruk vs Liliana is a great option.  This is a product perfect for those who haven’t mastered every nuance, and frankly don’t care to.

flavor is fun

Shopping for a Johnny - A Johnny is pretty easy to spot.  These are the players who spend late nights ‘tweeking’ decks and sorting through cards.  Or really any other Magic related activity that doesn’t directly involve playing.  When they do play, Johnnys are in it for the long haul.  Grouping together with good friends to play countless hours around the kitchen table or in the dining room.  If you hear them degrading their opponents cards, then chances are they are a Johnny.  If they brag about a particularly amazing game, even if you don’t care, that screams Johnny.  Finally, if they talk about the good-old days of Magic then you can be certain: this is a Johnny you are shopping for.  Good news, Johnny’s love MTG for more than just the cards.  Books (likely at any major book store) like Agents of Artifice or anything found here are perfect for him.  Because he loves the lore and flavor of MTG trinkets like signed art or collectors items from long ago work perfectly.  Planechase is another great gift for him, especially because it includes new ways to play with friends and new strategies.  And if you don’t feel like breaking the bank, booster packs from old sets are perfect.  That brings us to the bad news about your Johnny, he is a little harder to please.  Chances are he has already spent a pretty penny on his collection, and additions he doesn’t already have aren’t easy to find.  Or cheap.  Creativity within the gift is more important with a Johnny than Timmy or Spike so keep that in mind.  Especially if you don’t want to end up paying an arm and leg.

deck sleeves: a must for any Spike

Getting Spike what he Wants - How do you know if your certain somebody is a Spike?  Easy, how much of their love for the game is based on winning?  Do they attend Friday Night Magic events every week?  Have they ever skipped out on plans because a tournament was in town?  Are countless hours spend hunched over the computer playing Magic Online?  Are they competitive to a fault?  That means you are dealing with a Spike through and through.  This means you won’t be spending money on cards, in fact Spike is the only type of player on this list that would be bummed out to see a few booster packs in their stocking.  Because unless you have been keeping very close tabs on pro-Magic decks, chances are you won’t have a clue what cards to buy.  And these ‘it’ cards have such a short shelf-life they could be out-dated be the time you read this.  On top of that lore and flavor are worthless to Spike so art and books are out too.  Perfect, so does that mean Spike is impossible to shop for?  Nope, not really.  Spike is out pounding the pavement every day trying to prove he is the best and he never leaves home without his latest deck.  Therefore deck sleeves with simple art (or flat colors) will please every time.  As will deck holders like Dragon’s Eggs are super-handy in a MTG circles.  Cards won’t float a Spike boat, but they are very precious to him so guarding them is a must.  Sleeves, binders and deck holders come in a variety of prices.  Choose the one that is right for you and get ready to amaze your Spike with the perfect Magic gift.

There you have it, perfect gifts ideas for any type of Magic player on basically any budget.  Finding these products should not be difficult.  With a working knowledge of the internet searching out these trinkets and their locations will be easy.  And (at risk of sounding like a corporate pitch-man) these products can be found at any major retailer (Target, Wal-Mart, Fred Meyer, etc).  However if there is a local shop in your area (found through the wonders of cyberspace) items will probably be cheaper and the selection larger.  Happy shopping.

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