Subject: MTG community Issues-Supporting Extended. Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1998 00:41:05 -0500 (EST) From: "R.M.S." To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com I am writing to add my support of type 1.5 and my other two cents on the issue. Unfortunately all I seem to hear at local type 2 tournaments these days is the ever popular question: "So... you gunna play Academy or Sligh?" Someone came up to me and asked this question and I replied 'neither'. He laughed to himself and made some off hand comment about how I was a "scrub". I was actually playing a crappy White Weenie deck with a mere 6 rares (i say crappy because it has no Swords to Plowshares. It was a 'swarm' variety of weenie deck to clearify.) I reached the finals through both sligh and academy decks, only to loose to his deck 2-1. The outcome is less important than what lead to it. The whole idea that only two decks are good in a game where most of the playability comes from the openened style of deckbuilding. One reason CCG's and Magic in particular are popular is because no two decks will be exactly alike. More often than not the decks are quite a bit different, requiring versatility in order for a deck to do consistantly well. This weekend is a type 1.5 tournament. I find myself excited by the idea that I can actually use more than 25% of my cards to build a deck with. I must admit I am a little biased, since I have been playing since fallen empires was printed. I actually have more than a coin toss on which deck to build this week... that good relaible white weenie deck, that new, fun elf deck I have, a discard deck, a counter post deck, that fun wombat deck, or maybe that counter-digger deck that's annoying as anything. Granted, I cant use the pearl or the mana drain I just traded for, but oh well. The thing that makes type 1.5 great is that it allows enough to make the day fun for everyone because they can use most or all of their cards, but not enough to make sure everyone isn't beat to a bloody pulp by Moxie j. Lotus. (Not that the power cards ensure a kickass deck, but they're not called power cards for nothing...) Another good thing I am looking forward to are the good old decks, enhanced by the good Urza's cards, and the type 2 decks less dominant because of good old cards, and even some bad old cards. Everyone can have a good type 1.5 deck. Even newbie kids can build good, cheap, relable decks in 1.5 because the cards are available, like the one gentleman pointed out. Lightning bolts, serra angels, hipnotic specters, and even the beloved swords to plowshares are all even more available now in print in Anthologies. I feel type 1.5 will become much more popular now that the mirage block has left type II. Especially that even now some of the newbie players are upset because Academy is "the deck to play in type II now" and it costs an arm and a leg since everyone and their dogs are trying to get the components for it. Don't spend those two cents in one place, R. M. Schellhas Telastyn