Magic: The Gathering has been around for over 30 years. During that period, it has had many highs and lows as well. One consistent thing is that I believe it isn’t going anywhere. People have many reasons for playing the Trading Card Games (TCGs) that they choose to play. I have been on a proverbial quest for more TCG and tabletop content. So I decided to share with you the 3 top reasons why I play Magic: The Gathering.
3. The Collection Aspect
The lowest of my three reasons, but still a reason, is the collecting aspect. When it comes to Magic: The Gathering there have been a great number of sets, art, and different cards released. I believe there is something for every Magic fan out there to collect. For example, I have a friend named Quinton who absolutely loves the Sliver creature type and has every card that is/or involves Slivers. I have had plenty of cards over the years that vary in price. Some in the thousands, but also some in the hundreds. There are several cards that I like just based on the foiling of the card. I love all the Magic Invocation art and the Masterpiece artifacts. For example one of my favorites is the Invocation versions of Daze and Doomsday
Magic: The Gathering cards do fluctuate from time to time. But there are a lot that still retain decent value. Like recently I sold 3 of the cards from my current collection to pay for the down payment on my truck. You have just so many options on what to collect and how to collect. I still actively play so I pretty much have a bunch of random cards, plus the ones I am always fond of. One thing to remember in any kind of collectible trading card game is to remember that counterfeits can and do exist. So always be mindful, but there are ways to check for those.
2. Testing Your Mind & Stress Relief
I consider these two to be kind of the same. My number two reason I play Magic: The Gathering is that it helps with stress relief and tests my mind. What I mean by testing your mind is there are so many different formats to play with a plethora of cards available. This allows you to play a bunch of archetypes and learn how cards work together and what they work well against. Playing decks that are difficult for me to win are some of my favorite decks to play. I used to play an archetype called “Prison” where I’d pretty much prevent my opponent from being able to do anything. Then after I felt they were locked down I would attempt to deploy some type of niche win con. There are about 22,630 total printed Magic cards with their own unique names and in-game rules text.
So you can imagine how many possibilities there are for decks to test your mind and skills. The second part of that is the stress reliever part. When I play Magic: The Gathering, it tests your mind and helps with relieving stress. You get to sit down and play a fun card game with friends or others. This in return can allow you to escape from the world around you and focus on the the game that is being played. So the fact you get to have fun and some good competition helps me de-stress from my normally very busy life.
3. The Gathering
The most important reason why I play Magic: The Gathering is “the gathering” aspect. Some of the most important people I have met have been because of Magic. I have several best friends that I only met because of this game and I’m not sure where I’d be without them.
My really good friend Jimmy taught me to play the game I love. My good friends Aaron and Josh allowed me to come over and play at their houses, which in return kept me out of trouble when I was a teenager. The game shops I played out were like a second home away from home, a great escape so to speak. This reason factors into all the other reasons as well. Meeting new people who share a love for a game you enjoy is a big stress reliever. People can be genuinely happy for others or their friends when they win, especially at big tournaments like the Pro Tour.
Teaching new people the game you enjoy can test your mind as you want them to enjoy and succeed at the game. I’ve had many great times with people I have met while playing Magic: The Gathering, because of the gathering aspect.
Different people can bring their different cards or collections to share with people. While there are some negative people out there in TCG land there are always people who share your love too. You can experience plenty of different Magic events from small to huge con-like events. I went to Pax East this year back in March, and there were Magic events there as well. I’ve always been one to share my fun stories with others and then in return, I get to connect with them. My team I started with friends has amazing people whom I could talk about the game for hours with!
Wrap-Up
Like I said, I believe there truly is a collectible or trading card game out there for everyone who enjoys them. Magic: The Gathering is a huge part of my life and the people I have met have had a part in shaping the person I am. So I give a big thank you to everyone that I have interacted with and that’s helped me along the way. I think I can confidently say I will be playing Magic till very late in my adult life. Stay tuned for more Magic content in the future.
