I’ve been playing Magic now for ten months. That’s the point of this column; to explore what it’s like for a new player thrust into a competitive gaming environment. I started officially playing Magic during the Return to Ravnica pre-release, and now, with that block coming to an end, I’m faced with my first core set. And all I can think is, oh, thank Theros!

Let’s be real here: Dragon’s Maze sealed and Full Block Draft were hard as hell. I saw some middling progress in my play once I started playing Standard, but the few pitiful times I tried to draft full block I went for a swim. I’m yearning for that core set simplicity that I’ve yet to experience as a player. I see old players groan as a core set approaches, but why? Why does everything have to be so difficult? If you’re great at Magic, won’t you be even better at Core Set Magic?

I’m excited to play with big, dumb, mana-intensive (impossible) cards like Garruk, Caller of Beasts, Rise of the Dark Realms, and Garruk’s Horde! Garruk’s Horde is one of my favorites in my Commander deck, and I can’t wait to play this clunky card in a draft. These cards look so fun, bomb-y, and crazy. And what’s wrong with that? Call me a newbie (I prefer the term Scrub), but sometimes I want a port in the storm. Sometimes I want to sit back, take a bomb rare, and go from there. I don’t always want to have to plan for whether my two-color combo will be supported in pack three. That’s insane!

I don’t rant much, but after what was most assuredly my final DGM 0-3 draft, I feel a bit exhausted. So here’s to a simpler set!

May all our cards be cool! May all our cards synergize with each other! May one of us pull off a sweet mono-colored draft deck!

Seeya on the other side of the pre-release (which I will be working, and will report about next week)!

Love always,

yer scrub.

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