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2. Introduction

One of the most significant writings on Magic: The Gathering game theory was published in April 1996 on "the Dojo" by Rob Hahn. The article, "Schools of Magic: General Philosophies," represents the first serious, widespread, and empirical study of the game. The article has a clear objective: to enhance players' skill by reflecting on the transversal game concepts that, when understood, lead to victory. For Hahn, the transition from beginner to intermediate player is simple and natural.

It's enough to go to the first tournament, or play with more structured players. However, moving from an intermediate to an expert level is a complex operation. To advance and overcome this stage, an intermediate player must understand the nuances between various rules, gain experience with many different types of decks, and be able to see the synergies between cards. To achieve these practical goals, a certain theoretical knowledge of some game concepts is necessary, acting as transversal bridges capable of transforming mere technical exercise into experiential skill.

What tools does the author employ to help players? Hahn reflects on everything he learned from competitive tournaments and combines the product of his reflections with all the advice, insights, and directions provided by the greatest players of that era. The game philosophies of these players reveal themselves through their decks. Rob Hahn presents a series of these decks as a vehicle for learning.

He explains their approach to the game and derives general axioms. These are the "Schools of Magic." Each School uses the same tools but with different methodologies. In this sense, the author focuses not so much on the game, but on what no one teaches anymore: the method of playing.

Welcome to the first empirical methodology of MTG.

A "School of Magic," as understood by the author, is a set of coherent principles that guide every phase of the game, from deck construction to general play and situational play. This knowledge has at least three levels of interpretation, depending on the reader's condition. Beginners can use them to acquire initial practical directions for deck construction and play, intermediates to refine their skills, and experts to gain a deeper understanding of MTG that can, ultimately, allow them to create their own School. Analogous to Eastern martial arts, this type of learning is very similar to Shu-Ha-Ri.

Shu-Ha-Ri means Follow the Rules – Break the Rules – Transcend, which is the process by which an individual begins their growth by imitating the master, then adapting the copied model to their own body by varying it through continuous practice, until they arrive at the creation of their own personal style. This is the basic principle that every sport applies to itself (not just combat sports). The champions of every sport are those who have reached Ri and have succeeded in creating one of the most effective styles of a certain period and landscape.

The article in question was rewritten by the same author in January 1997 to reflect the changes in Type II (the current Standard) which the author uses as the main format for analysis due to its competitiveness. In this second version, called "The Schools of Magic," the various Schools of Wissman, Kim, Handelman, Chang, O'Brien, Maysonet, etc. were all separated from the main text and placed in a separate section. These become almost an appendix that enriches the article but are "extra" compared to what is truly important.

Here I will take this second draft of Hahn's article and, to the best of my abilities, translate, summarize, critique, and update it. In the hope that this great work, which still has much to say, can speak again.

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