Casting spells on other card players: What’s going on in the Cafe?

Author: Tyler McNeil, Staff Writer

Hudson Valley has a group of students that can be seen on campus playing Magic: The Gathering in the lower level of the Siek Campus Center.

Aaron Shamus, a Hudson Valley freshman and Magic player of three years described the attraction players have to the game.

“It’s strategy-based. It’s been around since 1993 so there’s so many sets and they keep adding more sets to the game. There’s always going to be something interesting in the game,” said Shamus.

“I usually play [on breaks from class] to fill in the gaps and whenever I can,” said Alex Glowski, a freshman and Magic player of six years.

Magic players are lured into the game for the thrill of competition, mental stimulation, networking and occasionally money.

“I was in seventh grade and my neighbor across the street played it and he sold all his cards to me for fifty bucks,” said Glowski.

“I have a lot of friends that play Magic,” said Shamus. “A lot of friends go here so Magic is a huge part of campus life [for me].”

Glowski claims that Magic: The Gathering serves the social community.

“It’s for people who aren’t very sociable. It’s a way for them to socialize with other people who aren’t very sociable,” said Glowski.

Magic: The Gathering can be an expensive habit.

“They have starter boxes for like $15 to $25. They have dual decks for $30 and if you really want to invest in this, get a booster box for $40. Some go up to $100 to $200,” said Shamus.

Glowski believes the expense of the game equals the reward.

“People who put a lot more money in their decks are the most challenging to face. It’s the money aspect,” he said.

“If you want to get into Magic, it takes time. You want to keep your rates up first because you don’t know what the value is. When you start getting into it, three to four months later you start to understand the values,” said Shamus.

“We already have a [club] page on Facebook, but there’s no official club established,” said Shamus.

Magic Tournaments often occur off campus grounds with ritual tournaments played.

“There are championships,” said Shamus.

“Friday Night Magic of course. You enter with $7 to put yourself in with a 60 card deck and you can play against any number of people. They select the top eight people and whoever wins [against them] gets a pool of money,” said Shamus.

Shamus describes Magic as a luck-based game, but also added that knowing every ability, when to attack and how to resolve things is beneficial.

Larry Jordan has been playing Magic: The Gathering believes his ruthless approach to playing the game has contributed to his success.

“I don’t play for fun. I guess that’s what sets me apart [from the other players]. I don’t play little kid games. I play to crush you,” said Jordan.

Larry Jordan, who has been playing Magic: The Gathering for nine years explains the key to becoming a decent Magic player.

“It takes time and strategy. You have to read everything,” said Jordan.

Local comic book stores such as Aquilonia Comics, located on Fulton St. in downtown Troy, are the heart of the Magic culture in the area.

“It uses a lot of math skills. There are a lot of different fantasy aspects. People just like the creativity of the game,” said Robert Lupe, owner of Aquilonia Comics.

Campuses all over the Capital Region have a Magic following.

“I see [students from] all the local colleges, mostly RPI, Hudson Valley and Russell Sage,” said Lupe. “We even see Siena and UAlbany [students].”

Aquilonia Comics offers tournaments twice a week and possible extra competitions based off of pre-releases.