Magic the Gathering is a collector’s card game.  It is largely based upon the classic fantasy genre, with some similarities to role-play, though takes inspiration from real life cultures and folklore.  The pretext is that each player is a powerful wizard summoning creatures and casting spells in a duel against their opponent.  Game play is a mixture of strategy and luck.  The luck revolves upon resources called ‘land’ cards which the player must utilise or ‘tap’ in order to summon creatures from his hand.  Having too much or too little land can make a player loose regardless of their tactical abilities.  Strategy is used to decide the best way to defeat the opponent with the resources at hand.

There are thousands of cards available and during tournaments players usually buy new cards, consisting of either a constructed deck or booster packs.  However, tournaments take place outside WARP.  The society plays friendly games during which players use their own cards or can borrow some.

The creature cards can produce anything from ordinary soldiers to fantastical beasts.  When they fight attack versus defence, the power of which is determined by numbers.  If an attack is more powerful than the defence it destroys the creature which is removed to the ‘graveyard.’  Players may use several creatures against one foe, or a combination of man-power and magic.  Some creatures have special abilities in themselves, the effects of which are described on the cards.  If a player is not defended by their creatures they receive any damage themselves up to twenty points.  A player who looses all twenty points is defeated.

Magic comes in the form of ‘spell’ cards, which have numerous effects and are discarded after use.  An example might be restoring health, causing damage or resurrecting a creature.  ‘Artefact’ cards are similar except they are items with specific effects and could be used more than once.

There are also different card colours representing forces comparable to elements such as earth, air, fire and water.  The colours are White, Blue, Black, Red and Green.  Some are more effective against others and a deck is usually constructed of one or two colours.  The size of a deck is usually between 40 and 60 cards, though any amount could be used.  It is largely a one-on-one game although a multiplayer version is possible.

The rules of Magic are fairly easy to understand and newcomers should be able to find someone at WARP to teach them.  The game is competitive and experienced players can be very hard to defeat!  The system is well though out and the variety of cards make it exciting and unpredictable.  It’s a fun game and many WARP members have played it, inside and outside the society itself.

If you are interested in the WARP society please come to one of our meetings or join the mailing list.

For more information on Magic The Gathering please visit:

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_the_gathering
            http://www.wizards.com/magic/