The MTG Community - Card Bonds [Edward Eng]

People that already play Magic know that it's such an awesome game. It's so awesome that it's one of the best games ever made. But other than just the game mechanics, what makes Magic so special?

It's those bonds and memories we make over the years playing the game. I'd like to talk about some of the cards that have made a lasting impact on my life.

Way back in the day, probably some time around 1996 or 1997, I remember when I used to play Magic at a card shop on the north side of Chicago called Third Eye Games. I clearly remember the day when this guy with crazy black hair and dark-framed glasses walked into the shop and wanted to jam some games. We get to jamming and he has all these cool cards. Beta Hypnotic Specters. Beta Sengir Vampires. I was like WHOA! Cool cards dude. Then he asked if I was gonna go to the Pro Tour qualifier that was happening a few weeks/months away. I had no idea what that was. And that was the beginning of sanctioned play for me. That guy now owns Tobey's Games Cafe in Manila, Philippines. His name is Ray De Guzman.

Sometimes the memories are painful. My second sanctioned tournament was the 1997 Midwest Regionals. I went 6-1-1 in the swiss rounds. I needed to win my first round in the single elimination rounds to qualify for Nationals. But I was devastated by Kaervek's Spite on the turn before I could kill my opponent in game three. I eventually played on the same team as him. But I have no idea where he is today. His name is Herbie Lukes.

I pretty much stopped playing Magic in 2000. But in 2009, I found Ray on Facebook and he miraculously got me back into Magic in 2010. That same year, I ended up qualifying for Taiwan Nationals. And on that road, my Bloodbraid Elves ran into many opposing ones. Some of those BBEs belong to a person who befriended me as I came back to the game in Taiwan. His name is Alzandy Tan.

Later on that year, I got a cool Christmas present. Three Jace, the Mind Sculptors. They were from a wonderful lady. And she became my lifelong partner. Her name is Vanessa Chiang.

I also qualified for Taiwan Nationals the following year. And I was also able to get a bit of trading on at the tournament. I remember completing my set of full art Celestial Purges. It turns out they belonged to the creator of Cardwalker. We ended up traveling to some Grand Prix in Asia together. He now works at Wizards of the Coast. His name is Jim Jen.

A few years later, Vanessa and I moved back to the States. I immediately checked out the game shops in Houston and started to play quite a bit more Magic. I remember jamming Temur as soon as Khans of Tarkir came out. Savage Knuckleblade was the name of the game while my for-the-day test partner was rockin' Butcher of the Horde. It turns out he was a tournament grinder and I saw him at many of the events I played in. Now I jam to hip hop with him on our way to tournaments together. His name is Karttik Patel.

I also jam to hip hop with another grinder on our way to tournaments together. And we often discuss individual card technology for specific matchups. Sometimes we dig deep when thinking about things like Legacy. And sometimes we find some gems like Pay No Heed for Miracles against the Infect matchup. He's the 2014 Star City Games Dallas Standard Open champion. His name is Collin Rountree.

And sometimes the memories are funny, especially when you play like an ape but still win. You stun your opponent and railbirds with deep tech cards like Winds of Qal Sisma. Then you unsuspectingly topdeck the winning card on the final turn of game three. The card? Siege Rhino. The opponent? His name is Ben Friedman.

There are so many other people that I've built ties and friendships with. And these are just some that are tied to specific cards. And this is what makes Magic so awesome.

I'm interested in hearing about which cards have played a part in shaping your ties with others. What stories do you have?

Peace, love, and have fun…
Eddie

Edward Eng

Galactic Treasures