Old friends
June 4th 2011 00:48
Anybody here seen my old friend Abraham?
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
-- Dion, "Abraham, Martin, and John"
Everyone is on edge in the leadup to June 18th. If the forums were city streets, they’d be soaked in blood. No matter what happens and who is or isn’t banned, a lot of people are going to be very, very angry. The storm approaches, and there probably won’t be much left of Standard after it.
Even though many people’s attention is thus occupied, this is nonetheless the perfect time for Abe Sargent to return to Star City Games’ website. Sargent was one of the most prolific and consistent writers in the sphere of casual Magic, and the fact that Star City wants him back, despite having been 24/7 tournament coverage, preorder hype, and Spike-oriented deck tweaking articles for much of the last decade, is very, very telling.
Sargent, in one sense, represents an older era and mindset, but one which is still relevant and more needed than ever. His brand of casual deck can be jarring to someone used to the mentality of most forums’ casual deck help, which boils down to “use power cards in an unsanctioned setting.” He is also notably not part of the growing Commander netdecking ring, which has destroyed some local casual scenes and thoroughly defeats the intent of the format. Rather, Sargent eschews arbitrary and dogmatic rules about deckbuilding, and chooses fun over principles when choosing cards or decks. (He is one of the two people I am aware of who admits that he has a deck with more than 1,000 cards in it.)
The tournament scene is flailing and some supposedly casual settings are becoming increasingly un-casual, as no less a figure than Aaron Forsythe himself recently admitted. Sargent’s return is a timely reminder of what the future of Magic could hold. His version of casual play is essentially unbreakable and incorruptible, dependent only on having a playgroup that thinks the same way. The Jace/Stoneforge Mystic decks, and even Standard itself, may not survive the month. But Magic: the Gathering will.
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
-- Dion, "Abraham, Martin, and John"
Everyone is on edge in the leadup to June 18th. If the forums were city streets, they’d be soaked in blood. No matter what happens and who is or isn’t banned, a lot of people are going to be very, very angry. The storm approaches, and there probably won’t be much left of Standard after it.
Even though many people’s attention is thus occupied, this is nonetheless the perfect time for Abe Sargent to return to Star City Games’ website. Sargent was one of the most prolific and consistent writers in the sphere of casual Magic, and the fact that Star City wants him back, despite having been 24/7 tournament coverage, preorder hype, and Spike-oriented deck tweaking articles for much of the last decade, is very, very telling.
Sargent, in one sense, represents an older era and mindset, but one which is still relevant and more needed than ever. His brand of casual deck can be jarring to someone used to the mentality of most forums’ casual deck help, which boils down to “use power cards in an unsanctioned setting.” He is also notably not part of the growing Commander netdecking ring, which has destroyed some local casual scenes and thoroughly defeats the intent of the format. Rather, Sargent eschews arbitrary and dogmatic rules about deckbuilding, and chooses fun over principles when choosing cards or decks. (He is one of the two people I am aware of who admits that he has a deck with more than 1,000 cards in it.)
The tournament scene is flailing and some supposedly casual settings are becoming increasingly un-casual, as no less a figure than Aaron Forsythe himself recently admitted. Sargent’s return is a timely reminder of what the future of Magic could hold. His version of casual play is essentially unbreakable and incorruptible, dependent only on having a playgroup that thinks the same way. The Jace/Stoneforge Mystic decks, and even Standard itself, may not survive the month. But Magic: the Gathering will.
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