Subject: MISC
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 12:48:37 -0400
From: Jeff Fitch <phitch@hotmail.com>
To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com

The Inevitable Truths of Magic: The Gathering.

     There are certain truths when one plays Magic that they must be
aware of. These are important to understand before you begin to play the
game and when you have started.

1st Truth.) Magic is a Game. "But don't people play it for money?" Shut
up already. If something is played for money it does not become a sport.
A sport usually requires physical activity, and unless you are badly out
of shape you certainly aren't going to build up any kind of sweat
playing Magic.

2nd Truth.) Wizards of the Coast is a company. Hard to believe but most
people (including myself) often complain about how many sets Wizards
puts out or how much a pack costs. Well it's life, deal with it. If I
ran WotC I would do the same thing. If people are willing to buy new
cards once every 3 months or so then why change.

3rd Truth.) Even the best players lose. There is no shame in losing a
hard fought match. If you lose a game don't moan, whine, cry, pout,
sware or be an otherwise @$$ about losing. It happens.

4th Truth.) Practice is the key to success. It is like anything else you
do, if you are willing to set a little time to practice then you will
get better. Building decks(normally your own) help you gain insight into
how cards interact with each other.

5th Truth.) You don't have to be a mathematician to play. You don't have
to know everything about the laws of probability to construct a good
deck. You make one using several good methods, like the 3 zone 5 quad
method. Like Richard Garfield once said "Math should be kept out of
Magic." (So much for Furnace of Rath.)

6th Truth.) Learn the rules. There are many rules and some are very
complicated but learn them any ways. This will improve your game vastly
and help you understand why certain combos work great.

7th Truth.) Money does not equal victory. It helps to have some money to
buy really good cards but even a deck of commons can work. It is just a
matter of putting a deck together that is based on a solid idea.

8th Truth.) Calling someone a Scrub(or Chumly) doesn't make you a better
player. Is your self esteem so low that you have to mock someone else to
boost it up? If so please seek help. There is no need to make fun of
someone who has just began to play magic.

9th Truth.) Watch, Listen, Ask. These are vital to any good players
growth. We must watch how other good players react to certain
situations. We must listen to them when they speak and give us advice.
We must ask questions when we don't understand what is going on. These
will help grow into stronger players.

10th Truth.) Competition is good. If I'm a pro player why would I go
down to a local tournament that I know I will easily win and play. I
wouldn't. There would be no point only competition makes us better.
That's why we play at tournaments or with friends is to get better.

     Well these are all the truths I could think of. Have a good time
playing.

Jeff Fitch phitch@hotmail.com
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