Gathering for ‘Magic’
Many people are used to magic cards used in magic tricks, but some NDSU students are using magic cards to perform other things.
Five NDSU students have made it their daily ritual to play the card game Magic the Gathering.
Although it isn’t a typical card game, it gives them hours of enjoyment.
This card game is far different from poker or bridge, though.
The object of the game is to reduce any opponent’s life to zero or to make the other player draw a card when they have none left in their deck.
Players of Magic spend much time and money putting together the perfect deck.
“ It’s an expensive hobby,” Chris Nilson said.
Each player begins with 20 life points.
Players shuffle their decks and draw their first seven cards.
For players who don’t like their first hand, they can “mulligan,” or start over, and get a new hand.
Once players are happy with their hand, the game starts.
Players duel each other by casting spell cards by adding “mana,” or magical energy, from land cards.
There are two basic types of spells: those that become a “permanent”; cards that stay on the table once they are played; and those that affect the game immediately and are then put into their owners’ graveyards.
Each card has different properties that will affect the way the game is played.
Cards range from artifacts, creatures, enchantments, instants, land and sorcery.
Each player takes turns laying down cards, according to the rules set by the publisher Wizards of the Coast.
The game has become popular, and some people would like to see it still more popular
“ We talked about maybe opening a club one day,” Justin Hazmann said.
A full set of rules can be found at Wizards.com/magic.