The Gaming Club was gathered around the couches outside of the 1941 Room for the semester’s first meeting, eagerly waiting to pitch ideas for events. Club President Dan Whittington ’11 opened up the meeting with a declaration: “We’re going to be hosting a promotional Magic event.” For a moment, as the statement sunk in, the group became uncharacteristically hushed. Normally, the club tends to be highly democratic when deciding which games should be used for an event. Members throw out ideas, suggestions, arguments and the occasional chair in an attempt to turn their favorite game into an event. This event is different. It marks the first time an organization has come to the Gaming Club to host an event. Wide-eyed club members watched as Whittington unwrapped one of the many packages sent to the school, giving the event an air of legitimacy.
Wizards of The Coast, a prominent table-top gaming company known primarily for Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons, sent Connecticut College a promotional package with over 300 premade decks for people to play with. Magic: The Gathering is a collectible card game (CCG). The goal of the game is to defeat the opposing player. Players buy random packs of cards and use them to build decks. Cards represent spells, and are used to summon creatures and other kinds of magic. The rules can be quite complex but the basic idea – attack the other player with monsters while casting spells to hinder your opponent’s abilities – is a bit simpler. New cards are constantly being developed by Wizards to keep the game fresh.
There’s no clear reason how Connecticut College was chosen by Wizards. “They mailed it to Jeannette Williams, and she just passed it along. I had no idea whatsoever,” Whittington said. Nevertheless, the Gaming Club seemed happy to host the event. A wave of excitement went through the club’s members when Whittington revealed the news. Wide eyes looked on as he took out a small box full of decks, one of many sent to the school.
While the Gaming Club has held tabletop events in the past, it has shied away from collectible card games like Magic. In the past, club members have used meetings to find other Magic players, and have had small meet-ups in the past. However, the club has never had the resources to put on an event like this. “Logistically, it would be a nightmare without a promotional kit,” Whittington said. “Getting people interested and involved is a concern already. If people had to bring their own decks, it would require a level of expertise that this event could not provide.”
“I think it’s probably going to be one of our most accessible events because we were provided with all the necessary materials to put it on,” said member Kim Marker ’13. With our video game tournaments we can only accommodate a few people at a time but with this we can cater to a larger number of people.”
The event could be seen as one big advertisement for Wizards. According to Whittington, “We got this stuff free from Wizards of The Coast, and Wizards wants us to give us this stuff away for free. We’re certainly proud to host the event. Ultimately, it is an opportunity to play Magic with no prerequisites for free. Advertisements or no, it should still be really fun.”
Club members are especially hopeful that the event will draw new people to the game and expand the campus’s Magic-playing community. People who have never played, or even heard of the game need not worry. “It’s a teaching event,” Whittington continues. “This is an opportunity to play and learn for free. Rules shouldn’t be a barrier, and there will be a system put in place for people who haven’t played in a long time or have never played before.”
“I always thought [Magic] was too complicated to just jump into,” said Marker. “I’m happy that it’s an introductory event rather than a hardcore tournament.”
Whittington’s goal is that the event be fun and relaxed, not super competitive. There is no entry fee. Everybody gets to keep the cards they get, and there will be other prizes as well.
Though details are still being hammered out, the general plan is to choose a format that allows everybody to play as long as they want. “No one is going to get kicked out [for losing],” Whittington says. In addition to play guides Wizards provided, veteran players will be there to help and teach new players. The event looks like it will be a win/win for Gaming Club, the campus, and Wizards of The Coast.
The event will be held February 25 in the Alice Johnson Room (Cro) at 4:30. •
