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Anthony Boydell
United Kingdom
Unspecified
Unspecified
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This morning I wake to find myself feeling a little dirty – a low, dark cloud of guilt hangs over me as the memories, of the night before, return. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t do it again – it’s been a year since I last dabbled/lapsed and two since I’d made the decision to stop altogether (albeit MOSTLY successfully).
Perhaps I could be regarded as weakened? Maybe it was their fault for preying on me in my moment of weakness? Can I really be held wholly complicit given the situation I found myself in?
I went to Hemel Hempstead to play board games…but I ended up playing in a Magic: The Gathering draft instead.
I know! I should be ashamed of myself…and I am, to some extent, but while I feel tarnished (and I know I’ve let people down) I have to admit that it was…fun.
Your Honour, if I might plead extenuating circumstances?
A group of us arrived early and, suitably be-French Fried, we set about a game of King of Tokyo, the new Richard Garfield board game from IELLO (innocently I paid no mind to this omen). It’s simple, colourful, quick and fun! It was while we were rampaging across the Far East (the irony was NOT lost on us, I assure you) that the rest of the Magic players arrived as did a small group of the board gamers.
The board gamers immediately set about a game of Hamburgum (with the Londinium side) without asking me ‘my plans’ (for info: they know I prefer board games) and when we had finished King of Tokyo to allow the draft to start, they were well into the rules explanation. It wasn’t, in theory, too late to be the fifth player but I find Hamburgum tedious and overwrought.
This left me with the unenviable choice of sitting in the corner of the room playing on my iPhone (Land-A Panda!) or making up the 11th in a Mirrodin Beseiged / Scars of Mirrodin draft.
What would you do? Really...can I be blamed for the choices I made?
I plumped for the draft and proceeded to build a blue/white control deck around a meaty Plainswalker, a card-drawing Sphinx and damage reduction / counter spells / some deck milling.
Round One was against Joel who recently Q-ed for the Pro Tour in Paris (go, Joel!) – our first game went long and I won with the Plainswalker (gaining too much life and soldiers). The second game was a quicker affair, but having milled him down to a single card in his library, he stole my flyer (the only means of blocking his assault) and attacked for the win (0W-1D-0L)
Round Two was against club card-pusher Rob. His Red/White affair proved too quick (and too fat) to bring under control – I was especially dismayed to be hit by a 3/3 Golem and his triplet siblings. Made me look a little ‘easy’ (0W-1D-1L)
Round Three was against the very epitome of ‘a good chap’, the wonderful Graham. His three colour affair seemed to be struggling – I milled away some of his tidier cards, beat him up with 2/1 creatures, prevented most of the damage his creatures tried to do to me, and abused my Plainswalker and Sphinx for a comfortable 2-0 victory (1W-1D-1L).
It was like old times playing against these guys; I enjoyed the drafting process, the matches, the decisions etc – it was a really fun evening but I won’t be doing it again any time soon, oh no!
My name is Tony Boydell and I am a Magic: The Gathering addict.
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