The Last Place to Pursue the Way.
Course Index
1. Preface
2. Introduction
4. Speed in MTG
8. Proactivity and Reactivity in MTG
9. General Principles of Deckbuilding
10. The Art of Sideboarding (under completion)
11. Conclusion (under completion)
The material is designed as a progressive journey: first the theoretical foundations, then the transversal concepts, then the practical application to deck construction, sideboarding, and gameplay methods.
1. Preface
This article aims to be the first in a new series that addresses the Theory of the Game: Magic: The Gathering. I wanted to undertake this endeavor for multiple purposes.
Firstly, there is a serious lack of informative sources that help players advance in their journey. On the internet, it's easy to find millions of videos, infographics, posts, articles, and various writings dedicated to beginners who want to learn how to play. This type of content is important because it introduces newcomers to this fantastic world. It has the advantage of being written by anyone and being easily publicized.
But it has the disadvantage of being more or less all the same. Furthermore, what is most easily found is content for experts, usually paid and assuming advanced knowledge of the subject. But almost nothing is available for those who already know how to play but cannot yet consider themselves as good as a game pro. The majority of Magic players fall into the intermediate range.
They are no longer beginners after a few months of playing; they are constantly seeking improvement and struggle to identify that *quid* needed to surpass their limits. The content of these articles of mine will be dedicated to everyone, but especially to them. They can guide the beginner player in the right direction, greatly accelerate the evolution of the intermediate player, but also push the expert player to delve into the most acute reflections on the metaconcepts of the game. They require a lot of work, but thanks to Metagame, they are completely free and easily accessible to you.
Secondly, the current trend is to analyze formats, decks, match-ups, and every other aspect of the game, primarily through statistical and mathematical tools. There is nothing wrong with this; in fact, these are crucial investigative criteria. I myself make extensive use of them in many of my reports on MTG. Mathematical evaluations give us certain, precise results and highlight many elements that we players must question.
However, with the advancement of this type of methodology, many others that had nothing to do with numerical calculations have been lost. It is my deep conviction that this was a huge misstep and has impoverished players, who now no longer have quick study methods available that are not win rate calculators and metashare. I believe that the theory of the game Magic: The Gathering cannot be reduced to a generic theory of mathematics. Besides the recent love of numbers, there are many ideas that offer interpretative keys to the game capable of improving all players' skills.
Finally, Magic: The Gathering is fortunate to be the longest-running TCG of all. This has allowed several highly esteemed authors to write about game theory. Many of these published in now-defunct magazines, or on sites like "The Dojo", the first MTG site, which ceased operations long ago and are now difficult to consult. Some theoretical pillars have become unobtainable unless one is lucky enough to have a physical copy (a fortune I possess).
This entire body of writings in other languages, abandoned and forgotten, contains rare pearls of concepts and theories that have been lost over time. Relative truths, as relevant now as then, and complex reasonings that, years later, should be revisited. Over time, I have accumulated books and printed sheets, notes, revisions, spreadsheets full of obsolete links referring to old blogs from the early internet, translations of original translations, etc., etc. To save all this knowledge from oblivion and myself from disarray, I decided to gather everything.
Categorize, analyze, translate, critique, recompose, and present to the public. So that all this may continue to serve anyone who wants to Play with a capital "P" for all the years to come.
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