It’s playtime for the wolf cubs: playtime for some.
The smallest wolf, a grey pup with a wild tufts of fur, is being pounced onto repeatedly and forced into submission. Even when they are young a
hierarchy is established. Their play is training them. The skills and habits they learn now will carry into adulthood.
The small pup cannot compete by fighting with strength alone, but he learns by observing and taking his licks.
All the pups would be learning to hunt for real soon enough.
Everyone is bad at Magic when they start playing. There might be varying degrees of “badness” and speeds at which we improve, but nobody is born good. I
like to think that even as we better ourselves we never really stop being bad, even the best in world. We can only keep getting better by improving, and
there is no perfection in Magic. I think it’s useful to frame things this way because it reminds me that there is always room for improvement.
I suspect that players who started playing Magic when they were young have an advantage. Kids are able to learn most things faster than adults, and
obviously the more you play the better you get.
We all started playing for fun. Sometimes we shift into the competitive aspect where the fun mutates.
It’s easy to forget how playing Magic used to be. I really used to play Magic just for fun? What was that like? I suppose now I couldn’t be more of a Spike
even if I dyed my hair white and grew fangs. Magic was ingrained into my brain early on, even if the hardcore competitive side would only come later on.
I loved all sorts of games, and Magic was the game. Complicated, exciting, thought provoking.
Being able to play with my brother and Dad was great. I was able to learn from them. Having an older brother is like having a person who can scout ahead
into the world, make mistakes or have success, and then teach you those things. You can never take complete credit; you are connected to your teachers,
opponents, friends, teammates, and family.
…
The young wolf has grown. He is stalking prey, an unsuspecting elk. He is alone now, having separated from his pack to make his way in the world after
learning how to hunt and survive. He seeks food, territory, mates, and comfort. A life and a legacy.
He is deep in the thick of the forest. The criss-crossing of trees and falling snow obscure vision in every direction. The forest can be a playground
to those who know how to navigate it and a complicated maze to others. It is cold, lonely, and dangerous to all at some point.
The doe is dangerous prey. If he fails now, he will not be remembered. The hunger drives him. He is very hungry.
The lone wolf is downwind of the doe obscured by the elements and the trees. The outline of the doe is limping slowly, it doesn’t know danger is near.
Yet.
The attack is sudden and brutal. The doe misses the threat until it is too late. The crisp fallen snow is ruined by the struggle.
One of life’s greatest pleasures. Victory. It’s easy to ignore a loss for another when you’re winning.
The forest is the same except for the lack of an elk. The forest doesn’t mind either way.
Had the wolf gotten lucky? Had he been rewarded for the choices he made? A combination of both?
The wolf can relax now. A full belly is all that’s needed.
The forest is beautiful.
I was lucky enough to win a PTQ relatively early on after getting into competitive Magic. Breaking down mental barriers blocking the path to success early
on really helps enable future successes. The confidence and belief that I could do well after winning a PTQ was an enormous help.
If you believe that you get back what you put in, it’s easier to dedicate yourself to the game. If you practice, you’ll win more. If you focus on doing
your best and try to win no matter what the circumstances, no matter how lucky or unlucky you get, you’ll win more.
Being able to develop the killer instinct while still realizing Magic is just a game is essential to becoming a good player while keeping your sanity.
…
A belly doesn’t stay full for long. There’s always a new meal and a new challenge in getting it.
The lone wolf sets out to hunt once again, stronger than before. He catches a whiff of two options for prey, elk in one direction and old carrion in
another. Spurred by his recent success he sets out to go after the elk.
This time he finds a buck out in the open. It looks large and tasty. The wolf approaches. He lunges, teeth bared. He misjudges his leap and a sudden
kick from the buck catches his left paw. The wolf yelps and backs off.
The lone wolf misjudged its prey and paid the price. He is not mortally wounded but won’t be able to hunt effectively for some time.
Without backup from other wolves he could not hope to take down a fully grown buck. He should’ve taken what he could get. He should’ve known his
limits.
It was a stupid decision. One he would not make again. His hunger intensifies as he slowly makes his way back to his den. It is calm in his den, a good
place to relax and regroup.
We all lose. All you can do is play the best Magic you can, make mistakes, and learn from them.
You ultimately rely on yourself to get better since no one else can make you get better. Enjoy yourself and genuinely try to not care about the losses
because in the long run that will lead to more wins and a happier existence.
Introverts sometimes get a bad rap just for sometimes preferring solitude. Being introverted is like having a battery that can only recharge by getting
some alone time. You don’t need to be a brooding batman. It’s still easy and enjoyable to be friendly and interact most of the time.
I imagine a pretty decent chunk of Magic players are at least partially introverted or shy. Magic is only now starting to become more mainstream, and I
think it’s safe to say a good chunk of players fall into the stereotypical category for “nerdy.” The best thing you can do is embrace your identity fully,
admit who you are, and roll with it.
Most Magic players don’t have an official team to test with, just a few friends or perhaps Magic Online. Magic is a social game, but you are ultimately
going to be battling for yourself most of the time. You play your match. You make the decisions. Whether you win or lose is on your shoulders.
…
The lone wolf is not alone anymore. He has found a pack. A hungry pack he is responsible for feeding.
Being back with a pack felt right, like a part of his brain had been filled up. The part of him that loved being a solitary hunter, a force of nature,
was missing his old life. The status games did not interest him, the constant struggle to maintain dominance, but it was easier to hunt. He needed to
keep everything in order, be an unbreakable presence.
What are the main differences between being alone or in a pack? A state of mind? A feeling of safety? Friendship? Perhaps it is nothing more than a
matter of proximity to others.
If he wasn’t a wolf, he would’ve contemplated how nothing is ever perfect. It’s easy to imagine the perfect life with everything falling neatly into
place by deus ex machina. Nature does not provide at whim. It’s cold outside the den. Perhaps it’s the challenge that makes the wolf. How much he is
able to overcome.
Rival clans now pay attention to his pack and fight for territory. As a lone wolf, he was not a target.
Success isn’t only limited to those who have a team. There are many different strategies and ways to approach the game, and the great thing about Magic is
that most of them can work.
You can fly under the radar and take big risks or team up and try to grind the format until you have a distilled understanding of it.
If you are going solo, then it’s easy to paint the picture in your mind that you are the hero. You are the master of your own fate. You might make
incorrect assumptions about a format, but sometimes even wonky assumptions can work out. It’s hard to predict exactly what level every person at a
tournament will be on and what that means for you.
Now is not a good time to rely on Magic Online for testing. Even if it were, is not always enough for effective testing. You need someone on your level to
test with. Teaching can be draining, and you need to focus on the task at hand.
An issue with net decks, or powerful strategies that you aren’t comfortable piloting, is that they might not be expressing who you are and what your style
is. If you can pick a deck that you love to play that represents the best parts of Magic to you, then that is usually a good idea. Try things out, keep
tweaking your routine and testing methods, whatever works for you is what you should be doing.
…
The end of the wolf was not fair, it just was. Nature doesn’t care how bad you want it. Good decisions have to be their own reward because no one else
is paying attention.
A larger rival pack came to expand their territory and attacked. He was a target now. With him gone, his pack would scatter.
You or I would say that it’s sad the life of the wolf has to end or perhaps sympathize more with the elk or perhaps not care all that much either way.
If it makes you feel any better, he did lead a full life, for a wolf.
A wolf is ultimately just a wolf. Perhaps humans have nothing much to learn from him.
His pack did scatter, running to safety. The wolf fought but was outnumbered and overpowered. Mortally injured in his last moments, the wolf limped
around, looking for safety only to find none. He laid down, eyes open. He was alone once more.