Magic: The Gathering

Roxie Millender

11/2/2023

Every other Friday, New Tech students get to go to their chosen clubs. Whilst some students spend this time reading a new novel or experimenting with Adobe products, a smaller group sit together in a darkened room, playing a game that helped shape the teenage years of the previous generation.

“I didn’t play Magic before coming here. This was something that Mr. Hooten and Mr. Plemons and others who came here and were like “hey, this is a game that we play” introduced to me,” says Mr. Berg, the sponsor of New Tech’s ‘Magic: The Gathering Club’, “ The values I enjoy about it; we’re able to just be together as friends – Me and Mr. Hooten and Mr. Plemons – but also with students. You gather as a group and like you get competitive about it but also I’m really glad I’m enjoying the time that I’m spending [on] this.”

Magic: The Gathering is a card game created by a man named Richard Garfield. Being inspired by the works and popularity of Dungeons & Dragons, Garfield sought to create a more logic based game in 1993.

Berg went on to give us a quick taste of the game. 

“It is all about where you are able to take different things called ‘lands’ that allow you to have mana and cast creatures, spells, artifacts, to where you’re either able to buff yourself and your area and just try to defeat your opponent, or to attack spells, or to attack with different creatures and what not to bring down your opponent’s life-level.”

Magic: The Gathering still isn’t as well known as its predecessor, Dungeons & Dragons. 

“Our D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) club is actually significantly larger than the Magic: The Gathering club. I think it’s a little bit harder of a game to kind of get into because of the different cards and what-not; but I provide decks and all the good things for y’all to be able to use at any point so if y’all ever want to play I can teach you the rules and all that good stuff.” Berg commented, “D&D is a little bit easier because you have all your different friends trying to help you out with certain things and Magic’s more individualized so it’s harder to get into. D&D is much more group oriented and Magic is more individual based, but both of them have communities around them that allow them to support each other and provide feedback and help.”

“It may take maybe about an hour or two to get the very beginning, but once you get that hour you’re able to basically talk between each other and figure out majority of the game.” Berg went on to say.

Trey Wilkes, a senior at Belton New Tech @Wascow, has been in the club since the start of his sophomore year. He said,  “Take it slow and just learn from other people that have played and have experience. If you enjoy the game, have fun, play with friends. [There's value] with friends because you get together and play with friends.”

We asked Mr. Berg why he started the club.

“There was a need for it. It really wasn’t me, we had someone who wanted to do it through Mr. Hooten first; he was a very beginner here. People liked it, it was enjoyable, something to do with your friends and just be able to kinda get away from everything else.” 

“We are always, always, looking for new members, and although it may be that little bit of a jump at the very beginning, once you get into it it becomes so much fun.”

 “Just try and play the game. You go play and you enjoy yourself; that’s all we really care about.”

Photos By Jayden Stilley