It has been called cardboard crack, but while Magic: The Gathering isn't as lethal as the drug, it is just as addictive. On Friday, September 29, through Sunday, October 1, fans of the role-playing game (RPG) arrived at Madison Square Garden to play for awards totaling $200,000.
Magic is a card game owned by Wizards of the Coast, which also owns the popular Pokemon and latest WCW Nitro card games. You can even play the game online with their latest software, replicating every card in the game. Pretty cool, but be warned the rules aren't that simple.
To play you have to create a deck out of various cards, including spells, creatures, enchantments, and land. Land is necessary to "purchase" those spells and creatures. You tap, or turn a land to its side and you get one mana, which is money to spend on a particular item, matching the color of the land tapped. If an item costs three green mana and two colorless mana, you must tap three forests (represents green) and two of anything else (forests, mountains, swamps, islands, plains or colorless lands). The object of the game is to bring your opponent from 20 points of life to zero. Creatures can deal damage in an attack or you can cast spells to deal damage. The game is turn-based and requires a lot of thought, strategy and skill (there is an instructional video for those who don't understand a thing I just said).
That was what this event was all about. The game has received more than a cult following, which has resulted in pro tours, like the one at MSG. The best of the best (about 350 players) came to duke it out and walk away the best Magic player in the city of New York metropolitan area. This event was not only for the best of the best. The semi-skilled and the worst had plenty to come for.
The event was free, but to compete in various tournaments and events, fees ranged from $5 to $60 were required. Some other tournaments included team tournaments, where squads of three battle other squads of the same number. Also, the latest Magic expansion, Invasion was displayed and players could compete in a booster draft tournament to get a hold of the new cards. This rather unique event where players are given packs of Invasion and players can only take one card from each pack and then pass it around until there are no more cards, and a deck is then created from the chosen cards for play.
Battle wasn't all that this day was about. Novice players or new players could learn the basics at Game 101. Skilled players could sign up for judge certification in order to judge at future tournaments. Also a part of the event is (one of the best reasons to be at a Magic show in my opinion) were Magic dealers where fans could buy and trade cards. Most prices seemed very fair and many customers walked away with a lot of cards, a smile and a little money left over.
The Magic: Pro Tour New York was a big success. For those who didn't make it or those who just want to relive it all again, ESPN2 provided coverage of the event on October 24. Check your local listings. Until then, grab a box of cards, find someone to play, and get your Magic fix for the day.
What makes Magic so cool are the pictures. How cool would a card like Plaque Winds be without a really great picture to be seen, describing what the card is all about? The artists make Magic what it really is. If the artwork looks like shit, the game is shit. Fortunately for this game, they have some of the best artists in the business. And I got to meet and talk with two of Magic's most famous artists Thomas Baxa and Greg Hildebrant.
Thomas Baxa has been creating artwork for the company since Tempest. He has also worked for Westwood Studios video game company, and has also done work for legendary RPG Dungeons and Dragons. Baxa has also done work for the popular Battletech series. Baxa hopes that more of his fans and potential fans will get to see more of his work in the mainstream soon. "I hope to be doing full-time freelancing soon," he says. For those who don't want to wait, log onto BaxaArt.com to view some examples of his work, buy prints and original artwork as well. It's a pretty cool site for those into RPG games, fantasy books and things of that nature.
It seems as if the magic number for artists at Magic is three to four years. Another artist who has brought many card ideas to life is Greg Hildebrant, and like the others, he has been doing artwork for Magic since Tempest, "about three to four years ago," he says.
Hildebrant has an extensive list of credits to his name, including being involved in the first Star Wars movie poster. His other works include the Marvel Masterpiece set and a Superman graphic novel. He was also been involved in creating the comic strip classic Terry and the Pirates. His latest works can be seen in the newest expansion set for Magic, called Invasion. Look for a Mermaid card in the Invasion set that has Hildebrant's name on it. Though a a master artists Hildebrant still looks at every new experience as his best. "I am not proud of anything in particular," he said. "I love what I'm doing at the present moment."
For more information on Magic the Gathering the game and tournaments check out the following links:
Comments and or questions about this article can be sent to me at Jminners@ybfree.com.