Magic: the Gathering's most interesting format
...and the chaos at Wizards of the Coast
Magic: the Gathering kicked off 2024 with yet another return to Ravnica, the Prague-inspired world that redefined the game’s approach to multicolor cards. This two-part reunion began with an adequate if predictable remaster of old sets, and continues with Murders at Kalov Manor, which follows classic detective tropes so closely that it got its own version of the Clue board game.
But the real mystery is why Hasbro jeopardized a team that’s made Magic a billion-dollar brand with a round of Christmas layoffs last year. My emails with the company’s PR lead me to believe that these cuts caused the cancellation of the Karlov Manor early access event — where, since March of the Machine, I’ve gotten to test the newest cards with other streamers before the general release.
This series of unfortunate events has made me reflect on the game I’ve come to love so much. I played schoolyard Magic circa 2000, but I owe my current fascination to the Return to Ravnica block that ran from 2012 to 2013. All it took was a coupon for a free Dragon’s Maze draft to hook me; it inspired my first cube and my admiration for whacky limited formats — chief among these, “Pick-Your-Poison.”
My roommate Jackson and I would chase stores that hosted these special tournaments. True to the name, you’d pick three packs from Magic’s past and sit down to draft with other players who did the same. You’d aim for a broad variety: New Phyrexia mixed up with Innistrad, Gatecrash, and even older sets like Apocalypse, Torment, and Time Spiral.
These out-of-print packs didn’t come cheap, but we knew we were buying an irreplaceable experience — the chance for a once-in-a-lifetime limited deck. Where I got to jam both “Griselbrand” and “Entreat the Angels” with nostalgic commons like “Pith Driller.” Where “Arcanis the Omnipotent” complimented my “Puresteel Paladin” equipment gameplan. Where I could ramp to both “One Dozen Eyes” and “Ulamog’s Crusher,” or assemble a killer “Kiln Fiend”/”Mist Raven” combo thanks to broken Conspiracy cards like “Summoner’s Bond.”
Jackson and I would keep our favorite decks in what he dubbed a “Rainbow,” after the colored sleeves he’d curate them in. When I moved to DC I brought the tradition with me — becoming a tournament organizer and Magic emporium in my own right. I splurged on exotic packs like Rise of the Eldrazi and Alara Reborn. I sorted thousands of cards to make my own “repacks.” I kept meticulous records of my triumphs and I celebrated the surprising strategies my regular attendees managed to concoct.
The uninitiated have often mistaken Pick-Your-Poison for “Chaos draft” when I’ve explained it to them. Game stores occasionally host such events as an excuse to offload unsold product — usually giving you a random premium pack and two others of recent vintage. I’ve nothing against these drafts, but they lack the choice that makes PYP so thrilling. There’s a metagame to it: you’ll notice that everyone’s bringing artifact or graveyard-focused sets, for example, and you’ll pick packs accordingly. You won’t get the perfect archetypes Wizards planned for — but if you’re cunning you’ll end up with sneaky synergies.
PYP gave me an appreciation for the wide arc of Magic history and made me especially sensitive to the deliberate power creep that rocked the game after War of the Spark (which was, incidentally, also set on Ravnica). While I welcomed the approachability and strength of these sets, they quickly outclassed the classics that so excited me. Mystery Booster and Time Spiral Remastered brought back much of the familiar magic, but I’ve come around to the idea of limiting the incursion of new packs to let the old ones shine.
So, this week, I did just that. I cut off my robust inventory at 2019. All eight of us in the pod had a blast, and I ended up with this spectacular Black/Red control deck:
While Magic marches into an uncertain future, I’m glad for all the friends it’s brought me: from the wonderful players to the dated pieces of cardboard that still bring me joy.
Here & Now Mastromarino Productions
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Wow. Just WOW. First time actually trying to understand what Magic is…. And it sounds cool. I might try it some day