Twenty Years of Playing Magic!
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Posted on Feb. 5, 2023, 5:11 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
This year marks twenty years since I began playing Magic: the Gathering, and I am very glad that I chose to play this game, as it is a very fun and entertaining game that also challenges a person’s intelligence and creativity, and I also have met many people through this hobby, making new friends in the process.
I was in high school when I began playing this game, and the Eighth Edition core set was the first set that I played, which is why I prefer the newer card frames over the old card frames and why both the original Mirrodin and Kamigawa blocks have such nostalgic value for me. In the years that have passed, since then, I have gradually collected many cards, built many decks, and honed my skill as a player, so I am very glad that I chose to play this game and look forward to many more years of playing it!
Please forgive me if I seem to be self-serving in this post, but I simply wished to commemorate this anniversary and show how much I enjoy this game, so I do hope that I am reminding everyone of why we are here and how much we enjoy this game!
What's the oldest you card you own that you cracked out of a pack from the first few sets
February 5, 2023 6:21 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #5
shadow63, I do not recall what the first card I opened in a booster was, but I did have a copy of Goblin Ski Patrol, before I actually stared playing the game properly; that may not be a very powerful card, but I do remember it, as it was the first card that I ever had.
February 5, 2023 7:56 p.m.
FormOverFunction says... #7
I absolutely adore the self-destruct downside that goblins so often had back then. Goblin Kites was another stellar example. So wonderful.
February 6, 2023 12:53 p.m.
Haha! I had a feeling you were a fellow dinosaur... Scaled Wurm for me :) First legit card was Mountain ice age - A sign of things to come.
February 6, 2023 1:59 p.m.
Congrats DemonDragonJ! I too am happy to have played MtG for over 20 years. An older friend introduced me to it as a kid during the Visions block, but I really got sucked in during the Urza block. I found the lore from the brothers’ war fascinating.
shadow63, some of the first cards I pulled from packs were Anvil of Bogardan, Necromancy, and Vampiric Tutor and I still use them in my commander decks. I also pulled a couple Grim Monoliths and traded for the rest of the playset. Never imagined they would go up to $200-$400 each lol.
February 6, 2023 4:34 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #11
shadow63, I do not, as I likely traded it or sold it when I realized that it was not particularly powerful.
February 6, 2023 8:20 p.m.
Last_Laugh says... #12
I started around Mirage when I was 14. I did take a 6 year or so break after my first few years but have been back since a little before Alara. Shauku Endbringer was the first rare I cracked and I still own and use my 6th Edition Worldly/Enlightened tutors (which are super rough around the edges lol.)
February 8, 2023 3:54 p.m.
Crow_Umbra says... #13
This March or April will be my 10 year-aversary of playing MtG. I'll know for sure once my TappedOut Joined section on my profile ticks up to 10.
I was wrapping up my 2nd year in college when one of my now good friends told me very enthusiastically about MtG over a very crappy dining hall dinner. He started playing sometime around OG Zendikar or OG Innistrad, and what the world building and mechanics were like. He told me that I was starting at a great time, as Magic was returning to a super popular plane called "Ravnica", with 10 factions that represented different color combinations of this "color pie".
Since we were all broke college students, we played a very janky table top casual using the Modern format as our card pool. At the time Commander seemed out of our reach, both in terms of focusing a 99 card singleton deck, and financially.
That spring break, my friend took me to Target, where I bought some Return to Ravnica Magic Core 2013 packs (remember Core Sets?), a Simic Evolve starter deck (remember starter decks?), and a case of opened cards/bulk that Target would repackage from things people returned. First rares I pulled were a Deathrite Shaman, an Elderscale Wurm, and a foil Godless Shrine. At the time I was so bummed to pull a land as my rare lol.
I've taken some sporadic breaks from playing at times when I lived too far from my friends, but always kept up with new set releases and lore. My friends and I started playing EDH the summer of 2019 and we've pretty much stuck with it.
Now that our playgroup is becoming split again due to moves & differing schedules, my friend that got me into MtG and I are attending more of the LGSs in our area. It's been cool to have a friendship grow through and with MtG.
February 8, 2023 6:49 p.m.
Wow, this sparks some fond memories for me!
I first started playing almost 25 years ago. I started during about a month before Exodus dropped. The "Rath Cycle" is my sentimental favorite! Phyrexians for everyone! When Urza's Saga dropped, I bought 2 booster boxes and pulled 2x Gaea's Cradle, which I still have in my binder!
I took a long break from the game in the early 2000's because my playgroup totally fell apart as everyone got jobs, got married, and moved away. However, some of us have found our way back together and have met some new players, so we're able to squeeze in real-life paper matches once or twice a month.
One thing that's been fun for me is to go back and review my older cards! I often find some serious gems I had overlooked previously because I didn't understand the game well enough to realize how powerful they were. One of my favorite hidden gem cards is Recurring Nightmare. At the time, I simply didn't appreciate what it was, but over the last 5 years or so, I've become the graveyard's biggest fan! I've also found other hidden gems in my collection such as Yawgmoth's Will, Lake of the Dead, Survival of the Fittest, City of Traitors, etc...
I can't begin to tell you how excited I've been for the game since last Fall. Dominaria United, The Brothers' War, Phyrexia: All Will Be One, and the coming March of the Machine! Dominaria is still my favorite plane and the Brothers' War and the Phyrexians are my jam!
I'm crossing my fingers & toes that we'll witness the return of Yawgmoth! It's the arch-enemy we all deserve!
February 8, 2023 7:17 p.m.
I started playing in Odyssey (Apocalypse block, right?) in High School - Roar of the Wurm, Pernicious Deed, Deep Analysis, Wild Mongrel, Spiritmonger - all those cards are forever etched into my mind. I remember when standard was called type 2. I also now remember being distinctly upset that I got a foil Polluted Delta instead of a really sweet creature while cracking packs...and I swiftly traded that bad boy away LOL. Hindsight, am I right? There any trades you deeply regret?
February 26, 2024 6:08 a.m. Edited.
DemonDragonJ says... #16
Mortlocke, yes, I had copies of the original printings of Sword of Fire and Ice and Sword of Light and Shadow, but I no longer have them, since I had only started playing the game with the release of Eighth Edition, so I did not know how great those cards were, but I am not too upset, since I have newer versions of each of them in some of my decks.
FormOverFunction says... #2
Congrats - glad you’re still playing!!!
February 5, 2023 5:44 p.m.