Just wondering what common ways others have established their playgroups. I haven't played a whole lot of magic in the past few years; after losing a job several years ago I'd lost contact with most of my friends from that time. I still buy cards from time to time, and play on Cockatrice here and there, but I'd really like to get back in to playing with people. I know I could hit up local FNMs, but the few standard cards I have aren't good enough for even a semi-competitive deck, and really, I'm just not a particularly competitive person. I'd rather build some wonky decks, see some crazy stuff & have a few laughs, without worrying about if my budget homebrew can win me a pack or two.
So, for those of you with ongoing playgroups, what's your "origin story"?
I found a couple people here that lived in my area, met them at the local shop, and decided to meet regularly. That was 3 years ago and the more people are still mostly here, but we are always bringing in new blood when we can.
I created it. I kept suggesting we play EDH (at the time we only played vintage legal decks) and finally I just built three EDH decks for us to play. And we loved it, They built their own and we all started loaning out decks till a lot more people got involved. This was about. And a half years ago and we still play and brew.
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i just asked to join the group and people join as time goes. we also hold local tournaments at our lgs and we join up together sometimes when we have the time
My playgroup has been playing Magic at the local shop off and on for the past 15 years or so. Some people come and go, but the core remains the same.
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On Mythic Rares: "What's next, Wizards will print six golden Black Lotuses and randomly place them in boosters, and if someone gets one, they get to tour the Wizards facility?"
I found my current group by going to the game shop when I moved here. I found my original group by introducing new Magic-playing friends to this unusual format I brought with me from Alaska.
Basically the same guys I still hang out with from high school. They first brought me to standard with M12 after we decide to space the D&D Games. After getting tired of Standard with all the rotation and absolutely ridiculous price tag compare to older card of similar power, we choose to try EDH, we all came up with our first deck, it was terrible.
While I consider my deck more evolve (I played a LOT on Cockatrice compared to them), but we have fun and our group just expanded; some from cutthroat environment but their playstyle still hasn't adapted much, not enough answer yet IMO.
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I'm a huge fervent of TappedOut. Most of my link will link there.
Galspanic tricked me into coming to his place by PMing me nudes, I rushed over and they were all just playing magic. I said what the hell, took off my leather mask, shuffled up, and played a few games.
We're basically a group of local computer gaming nerds that became friends over DotA, Unreal Tournament and Freelancer. Then, we realized everyone plays Magic, too and started throwing Highlander decks at each other. The step to EDH was when someone discovered the special ruleset where you pick a legend ...
At the local FNM, people became interested in playing with us and we now have a major part of the players infected with the Commander virus.
We used to play crappy casual magic at the lunch table in middle school. Stopped playing during high school as we went to different schools. After high school we got back together playing the same crappy decks, and improved a bit over time.
A guy I knew introduced me to EDH, which I brought back to the group. The was about 4 years ago now. We pretty much only play EDH now, with a group of 3 to 6.
Mostly it's been work associates and friends I've known forever. We all got back into Magic after a long hiatus (the excuse being to teach one member's daughter how to play - good at teaching math/programming concepts and attention to detail, etc.)
One person in the group decided to pick up one of the EDH precons as a way to jump start his new collection relatively cheaply, and we were all drawn in from there.
My LGS holds weekly EDH gatherings and I started going. When most of the guys moved away for the summer, a few of us decided to start heading to my house for EDH on the weekends. Been doing it ever since and it's becoming quite the fun get together.
Back home however, my group is just me, my buddy from way back when, my brother, and his buddy from way back when. We were always super close friends and eventually I decided to introduce them to my hobby. My buddy had already played and my brother dabbled so it was really just us trying to get his friend to play. We've been playing Magic ever since then. Usually started at 6pm and would go until most places opened up for breakfast in the morning. /nostalgia
We have about 5 regulars and 1-2 who make it about half the time. The group basically started between me and a friend and we played Decipher's Star Trek, Star Wars, and LOTR games together, beginning about 14 years ago. Since ST and SW were primarily 2-payer games, there really was no others in the playgroup. Once those games stopped production, in 2009 we picked up MTG.
Wanting to get involved in the MTG community in our town, we started attending FNM's. Our weekly EDH group is ALWAYS hosted at my house, so my friend and I had the liberty to pick and choose the people we enjoyed playing FNM with.
I see so often on these boards people complain about someone's play style, or temperament, personality, etc (and I'm not saying these complaints aren't often valid, there are people I don't enjoy playing against), but the nice thing about hosting the playgroup and its members being "by invitation only" is the fact it's a CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT. We removed by unanimous decision 1 player due to personality conflicts and another was kind of a mutual split b/c he basically just didn't contribute to the environment (after more than one year of weekly playing, despite our asking, he only played the same two decks and we just got tired of seeing them over and over). As people get removed, or recently, move out of the area, new players are brought in by invitation, with the newbies being generally approved beforehand by all members of the group.
The main group: one guy I met (and now we're good friends) at a bar a couple of my non magic playing friends told me they saw people playing magic at. The rest from just playing around town at the main LGS
Galspanics group I met through him from posting here. He tricked me into coming to his place by PMing me nudes, I rushed over and they were all just playing magic. I said what the hell, took off my leather mask, shuffled up, and played a few games.
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The EDH stax primer When you absolutely, positively got to kill every permanent in the room, accept no substitutes.
Well, considering I am between two metas at the moment as I originally lived where I am now and I currently intend to go back for school again in the fall, I will cover both:
1) My first group I met close to 4 years ago now. We all started playing standard again at about the same time so there was a nice build up where nobody had anything and we learned what worked and what didnt. After 6 months or so someone asked about EDH and nobody knew what it was. 2 people built heads up decks, then a few more of us built heads up decks. Then after we had a bunch of people we moved to multiplayer. I played EDH with this crew for like 2 years and change before I moved. I am back there for the summer working a job as well having fun times with the crew.
2) I moved for a different job which turned into going back to grad school later. When I moved out it was summer time in a college town and I was bored. I had already been playing EDH for 2+ years at this point in time and had some good decks. I found out about a games club which I showed up for a monthly gameday they had and just absolutely pounded one of the two / three guys there that had commander decks at probably $100 a deck at the most with a $1,000 deck. From there I had to encourage them to use proxies as I couldn't bear to have to downgrade all of my decks.
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I have officially moved to MTGNexus. I just wanted to let people know as my response time to salvation decks being bumped is very hit or miss.
Galspanic tricked me into coming to his place by PMing me nudes, I rushed over and they were all just playing magic. I said what the hell, took off my leather mask, shuffled up, and played a few games.
Sigged
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I'm a huge fervent of TappedOut. Most of my link will link there.
Galspanic tricked me into coming to his place by PMing me nudes, I rushed over and they were all just playing magic. I said what the hell, took off my leather mask, shuffled up, and played a few games.
So, for those of you with ongoing playgroups, what's your "origin story"?
My free stuff so far: 2 Rise of the Eldrazi boosters & 1600 XBOX points
WUBRGPauper Battle BoxWUBRG ... and why I am not a fan of Wayne Reynolds' Illustrations.
Thanks to Heroes of the Plane for the awesome Sig.
Currently Playing- EDH
GGGOmnath, Locus of the LifestreamGGG
BBBShirei, Lord of PoniesBBB
UWRasputin Dreamweaver, Russia's Greatest Love MachineUW
UBWZur, Killer of FunUBW
UGWTreva, Princess of CanterlotUGW
RWTajic, Master of the Reverse BladeRW
RRRZirilan, How to Train Your DragonRRR
PDH Decks
Gelectrode
Ascended Lawmage
Blaze Commando
Thanks Argentleman;)
WB Teysa token aggroBW (retired)
MAKING (Onmath, Numot, maybe something in Esper)
On Mythic Rares: "What's next, Wizards will print six golden Black Lotuses and randomly place them in boosters, and if someone gets one, they get to tour the Wizards facility?"
Wydwen|Edric|Sakashima|Marrow-Gnawer|Hazezon
8.5 Tails|Seton|Rasputin|Doran|Gisela|Karona|Márton
While I consider my deck more evolve (I played a LOT on Cockatrice compared to them), but we have fun and our group just expanded; some from cutthroat environment but their playstyle still hasn't adapted much, not enough answer yet IMO.
EDH Commanders:
Ridiculously Threatening Auras
Project Simic Experiment [№001384]
:symr::symw::symu:Zedruu, Candidate for Presidency:symr::symw::symu:
Trade Binder or Here
At the local FNM, people became interested in playing with us and we now have a major part of the players infected with the Commander virus.
L1 Judge
We used to play crappy casual magic at the lunch table in middle school. Stopped playing during high school as we went to different schools. After high school we got back together playing the same crappy decks, and improved a bit over time.
A guy I knew introduced me to EDH, which I brought back to the group. The was about 4 years ago now. We pretty much only play EDH now, with a group of 3 to 6.
Kemba | Linvala | Talrand | Geth | Krenko | Zada | Patron of the Orochi | Medomai | Athreos | Gisela | Trostani | Nin | Silumgar | Kaervek | Jarad | Xenagos | Sydri | Narset | Roon | Zurgo | Ghave | Marath | Uril | Tasigur | Animar | Riku | Riku | Sek'Kuar | Cromat
One person in the group decided to pick up one of the EDH precons as a way to jump start his new collection relatively cheaply, and we were all drawn in from there.
WGU - Jenara, Asura of War - Bant Counters
WUB - Sen Triplets - Blink Control
RWU - Ruhan of the Fomori - Combat Control
WB - Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts - Orzhov Knights
UB - Grimgrin, Corpse-Born - Tribal Combo
G - Yeva, Nature's Herald - Yo-Yo Champion
Back home however, my group is just me, my buddy from way back when, my brother, and his buddy from way back when. We were always super close friends and eventually I decided to introduce them to my hobby. My buddy had already played and my brother dabbled so it was really just us trying to get his friend to play. We've been playing Magic ever since then. Usually started at 6pm and would go until most places opened up for breakfast in the morning. /nostalgia
RUG Intet, the Dreamer
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain
WRG Mayael the Anima
UUU Jalira, Master Polymorphist
BBB Sherei, Shizo's Caretaker
GGG Yeva, Nature's Herald
GGG Ezuri, the Renegade Leader
Constructing: Karn, Silver Golem - Ephara, God of the Polis
Wanting to get involved in the MTG community in our town, we started attending FNM's. Our weekly EDH group is ALWAYS hosted at my house, so my friend and I had the liberty to pick and choose the people we enjoyed playing FNM with.
I see so often on these boards people complain about someone's play style, or temperament, personality, etc (and I'm not saying these complaints aren't often valid, there are people I don't enjoy playing against), but the nice thing about hosting the playgroup and its members being "by invitation only" is the fact it's a CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT. We removed by unanimous decision 1 player due to personality conflicts and another was kind of a mutual split b/c he basically just didn't contribute to the environment (after more than one year of weekly playing, despite our asking, he only played the same two decks and we just got tired of seeing them over and over). As people get removed, or recently, move out of the area, new players are brought in by invitation, with the newbies being generally approved beforehand by all members of the group.
The main group: one guy I met (and now we're good friends) at a bar a couple of my non magic playing friends told me they saw people playing magic at. The rest from just playing around town at the main LGS
Galspanics group I met through him from posting here. He tricked me into coming to his place by PMing me nudes, I rushed over and they were all just playing magic. I said what the hell, took off my leather mask, shuffled up, and played a few games.
The EDH stax primer
When you absolutely, positively got to kill every permanent in the room, accept no substitutes.
1) My first group I met close to 4 years ago now. We all started playing standard again at about the same time so there was a nice build up where nobody had anything and we learned what worked and what didnt. After 6 months or so someone asked about EDH and nobody knew what it was. 2 people built heads up decks, then a few more of us built heads up decks. Then after we had a bunch of people we moved to multiplayer. I played EDH with this crew for like 2 years and change before I moved. I am back there for the summer working a job as well having fun times with the crew.
2) I moved for a different job which turned into going back to grad school later. When I moved out it was summer time in a college town and I was bored. I had already been playing EDH for 2+ years at this point in time and had some good decks. I found out about a games club which I showed up for a monthly gameday they had and just absolutely pounded one of the two / three guys there that had commander decks at probably $100 a deck at the most with a $1,000 deck. From there I had to encourage them to use proxies as I couldn't bear to have to downgrade all of my decks.
Signature by Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen
[Modern] Allies
Or maybe I was such a dork that I had to create a format to have any friends
This is true honesty right here.
This should be on your playmat.
The EDH stax primer
When you absolutely, positively got to kill every permanent in the room, accept no substitutes.
Sigged
EDH Commanders:
Ridiculously Threatening Auras
Project Simic Experiment [№001384]
:symr::symw::symu:Zedruu, Candidate for Presidency:symr::symw::symu:
Trade Binder or Here