So, um, 2021 kinda sucked.
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"The Mold Demon of Years", if you will.
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Like, 2020 was certainly no tier1 year, but it was still in a sense new. 2021 was more like a grey limbo. Places and social
gatherings were locked down for so long here that I'm not really sure what "normal" looks like anymore. All things considered, I think I'd
argue that 2021 was the most boring year I've experienced thus far.
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Perhaps "The Hazduhr the Abbot of Years" is a more apt comparison.
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Maybe I'm being overly dramatic. And I guess my 2007 and 2014 would like a word before
I give out that "meh" title on a personal level. But still, damn, I feel
pretty good leaving this one behind. No shame in admitting we've seen
better times, and that we're eager to work towards them again.
I've
listened to and read a good number of end-of-the-year
retrospectives in the last weeks. All Tings Considered, Monster of the Week, and so on. Even a few of the ones with broader
audiences located on the more mainstream Magic sites. And it kinda feels like -
while there certainly were positive things last year also - that a lot
of us players would argue that 2021 wasn't that great a year
for Magic on the whole. People seem a bit more disconnected from the
communities and formats than usual. Some blame the eternal meta brought
on by sets like Modern Horizons 2, some think there are just too many
products, some get frustrated by the sheer volume of variants of cards
printed, and some just miss the gatherings. Personally, I blame the
August travel restrictions to the Netherlands, the flight strike
in Italy in late September, and US travel restrictions in October.
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Though how are there still eight(!) different Sphere of Annihilation variants when that's a card without "showcase treatment"? Oh well, to the Chaos Orb binder with you.
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But,
all that whine aside, 2021 wasn't all doom and gloom of course. Those alluring Dwarven Warriors 4,
Waiting For Winc0n, and Urza's Chalice 4 gatherings did all take place after all, and
those who were able to travel to them reportedly had a blast.
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Also, DOOM and Gloom is like peak 1993.
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We could be dramatic and quote some Albert Camus here,
but basically, when we're not spoiled with Gatherings the ones we do
get feels even more satisfying. And there were some really sweet ones even for a
nerd like me last year. NOSMTG Christmas Gathering, BSK 2021, TribeCon
2, Nordic Warrior 2. Legacy over at KungMarkus's, OS Rochester Cube with
Thomas, and Vintage with Hardy in Oslo. Even dipped my toes a bit more
in the online world during the first months of the year; Spikefest IV,
Scryings Double Elimination, and of course n00bcoM 2.
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Even got to play The Deck (without people yelling at me) at Spikefest IV. The Deck mirrors are rare treats.
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There's a clear trend among the gatherings listed above. The first months of 2021 were digital, and the last ones
were physical. And it's probably no secret that I like this direction.
While the digital gatherings have been a life saver to kill off the
worst cardboard abstinence during this pandemic, I think there's something special with having
communities bound to a physical place as well. Traveling to meet new
players in new cities around the world is not to be underestimated.
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Is that Vienna in the distance?
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Another nice
thing with 2021 was that many communities saw the return of actual trading. I probably traded more cards in 2021 than
I've done in any year since 1997.
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I presumed the ship had sailed for me to ever complete a playset Workshops, as I felt they had became too expensive to buy. But a few months ago I managed to do a massive trade for the last two. Trading cards for other cards is the tits.
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Around here is where we traditionally look at the new content creators that have popped up
during the year. In 2020 I found 18 new sites or channels. I guess it is a bit telling
for 2021 that I've only followed two new content creators in the last twelve months.
But despite only finding two new channels, we surely haven't been lacking in content. The quality and productivity levels on these two rookies are really through the roof. Check them out if haven't!
There might have been some general cracks in the "lets
all create content" mentality in 2021. Last year this blag only had a single guest post for example (thanks Erwin!), which is the lowest number in the ten years or so
we've been doing this thing. And there were certainly times I struggled to write
just two posts a month. But hey, I'm never quitting. And there are a few wind-scarred constants as recurring Oldschool musings around different platforms go these days. Like
Greg on Instagram, Timmy on Youtube, and Mano on the pod. Eternally churning
out content for years, ignoring pesky pandemics and general life changes. It would be fun to spend a weekend
with you guys in Dubai or something and talk about Magic. I think that was the plot of Sex and the City 2. Mano seems like such a Miranda.
Anyways, time for a few best of and shout-outs!
Coolest deck of the year
When
we legalized Summer Magic back in 2015, I though that we might see a
few odd basics and perhaps some uncommons from the crazier folks playing
the format. But I never in a thousand guesses would have thought of
anything like this. This is actual madness. And this was the final
frontier. We've seen Alpha-only decks and Arabian Nights-only decks in
years past, and now Brother Stebbo has crushed every expectation by
donning a full-on Summer deck for the Summer Derby. Hats, and pants,
off.
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| Brother Stebbo Dreams of Summer |
"Damn, that's some sweet tech!" of the year
If one deck had me
eager to switch to Atlantic rules and then spend a few thousand dollars on cards just to try it, this would be the one. Hm, maybe I can get most of the experience with
just one Candelabra?
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| David's Tron from the Winter Derby |
Actual deck of 2021
The time is out of joint: O cursed spite,
That ever I was born to set it right.
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| Danny Friedman's TwiddleVault |
Card of the Year
I'm
not sure that this was the most impressive card of 2021 or anything
like that; in fact I'm pretty sure it wasn't. But a year ago most people
would laugh at you for playing Fountain of Youth, and today it is a
respectable choice even among the spikier wizards. Maybe we have Will
Magrann or Mano to thank for that. Regardless, I don't think any card in
classic 93/94 traveled a journey in 2021 quite like the Fountain.
Argothian Pixies says hello, but tier3 to tier1 is still not as
cool as tier7 to tier2.5.
Card of next Year
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| Waiting for KungMarkus to finally break Enchantment Alteration in 2022! |
On a slighly more serious - though still rather unserious - note, I'd really like to try out playing 6-8 Phantom Monster + Roc of Kher Ridges in a deck.
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Stupid Lightning Bolt and Serendib Efreet. But still...
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Or maybe we'll just start realising how useful a Yotian Soldier can be.
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| Probably actual pick. |
Player of the year
As
always there's stiff competition around these parts. While I failed to recognize a
new face to really sweep the scene last year, many players in the old guard really showed mastery. And in the end I think that the honor must finally go to
Danny Friedman. Dude won n00bcoM and the last Spikefest, and had some ridiculous results in other high-stakes tournaments as well. An all while sporting his own pet tech. Hat's off!
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| Danny Friedman with an unrelated trophy. Just so much winning. |
Proudest winner of 2021
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| Honka is reasonably pumped after winning Tribecon 2. |
Saddest loser of 2021
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| Knutsson is reasonably upset after losing in the finals of Tribecon 2. |
Format variant of 2021
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Giving the nod here to Swedish Oldschool Two-Headed Giant Brawl. X-point might be a better answer for many, but SWEOS2HGB is just so social dammit. Honorable mention to OS Cube Team Rochester Draft.
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Collection achievement unlocked of 2021
There's this thing known as #40before40. The original challenge was to collect a playset of each original dual land in a "Swedish reprint" legal expansion before your 40th birthday. So basically 40 Unlimited duals before you turn 40, maybe sprinkled with a Beta or two for luck.
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Easier than #9before9.
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These days, we should note that most everybody would accept 40 Revised duals with high fives and a proverbial achievement badge as well. And as a lot of us in the community are starting to approach 40, quite a few known heroes went to unlock the challenge last year.
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| Audun Døssland unlocked 2021. |
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| Pavel Kovalev unlocked 2021. |
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| Martin Berlin unlocked 2021. |
But my main shoutout here is to the insane Trinket Mage we all know as Slanfan.
Slanfan not only unlocked #40before40 with just a week to spare before his 40th birthday, dude did it with Beta duals. And from the sidelines, it was a real pleasure to follow his progress to try to win that wild race against time, particularly in the last twelve months or so before his birthday. The amount of cards he sold and traded to get to his goal was staggering, and seeing him succeed with just days to spare was awesome. Congrats man, and a belated happy birthday!
...
Ok, time for some personal highlights fuckers. It's my blag, and now I'll write about me.
Personal Collection Completion of 2021
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Finished The Dark and Antiquities! Currently missing one card for Arabian Nights and like 25 for Legends, so it seems likely that these might be completed in the not-too distant future as well. Don't really know what I should do after that. Either just consider myself finished, or start with Premodern sets or something.
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New card of 2021
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| GG, GG. This is rad on so many levels. |
New playset of 2021
A novice might think that finally completing that playset Workshops above - or even just unlocking Gaea's Cradle - could be in contention here. But it's a clear TKO for something else, and the winner is Danny Trejo.
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Thank you so much Gerard!
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New Magic trinket of 2021
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Got myself a new Khalsa-Brain mat, and decided to frame it for the home office.
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And some proper oldschool artists have drawn on that beautiful canvas.
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Home office / nerd room. Thanks for the deal Markus! A kinda 2021 thing was btw that I got the mat around early January, but didn't get the chance to frame it until four or five months later as all the framing stores in Oslo were closed due to covid.
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Second best use of a Khalsa-Brain mat (after using it as art in the home office) of 2021
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Much Christmas, very Magic.
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Perhaps the actually best use of a Khalsa-Brain mat of 2021
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Having old colleagues over for a good-bye party to my old-time roomie Hardy, who was moving back to Sweden after nine years. Time Spiral Remastered limited, lots of free beer and pizza, and busting out the six-player playmat.
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Other good times with modern cards and rad playmats at home of 2021
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This goes to casual Duel Decks battles with the wife on Viennageddon and Winter Ball mats.
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New Magic gear of 2021
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Found myself a display of these old sleeves. If I ever manage to build an Oldschool Cube, my Card Protectors are ready.
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New non-Magic gear of 2021
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After a couple years in the works, I finally have my Norwegian national costume finished! My wife's grandmother wove the fabric for the west and knitted the socks, and every part of the outfit has some story. Coming from Sweden, seeing how the national costumes ("bunad") are used and appreciated in Norway has been really cool.
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On that same note, non-Magic achievement unlocked of 2021
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Dual passports suckers! I am now a full citizen of Norway (as well as Sweden). This is sweet, and it makes that national costume even sweeter.
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Chaos Orb binder addition of 2021
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| First-year Urza's Chalice proxy! |
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Backside. Thank you so much Bonnie!
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And how about this nugget:
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Urza's Ante 2021 proxy! I can now proudly say that I have a full set of Urza's Chalice Chaos Orb proxies. Thank you so much Aaron West, that was an unexpected and truly delightful gift!
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Non-Chaos Orb proxy of 2021
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How about this Mox Crystal then? And it's legal in Ante 40K. Thanks again Bonnie, I will use this recklessly until I lose it.
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Suprise Sol'Kanar of 2021
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Sol'Kanar the Swamp King vs Black Disaster at BSK. *Belly laugh*
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Surprise actual animal of 2021
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I guess this fox, that utterly unfazed tried to get into my tent when I was resting there with my two-year old during our first night in the woods together.
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Top5 movies I saw for the first time in 2021
I don't know how I've managed to live 38 years without seeing the Bill & Ted movies, but now that's been rectified. Also honorable mention to Bunuel's
The Exterminating Angel which was just wildly good.
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| I have no idea what it will look like, but something should at least happen this Easter. |
Other than that return to Gothenburg during Easter, the main tournament goal is to finally get down to Winc0n in Genoa at the start of September, two years after it was first planned. And I'd like to travel for a few smaller, more intimate tournaments again as well. There are far too many good people I haven't seen in the flesh for too long. Switzerland in the summer sounds Magical. And hey, maybe this is the year I finally sling cards in the US? Or hang out and play pinball with Marc Lanigra at his turf? A lot of opportunities are opening up these days. And it looks like 2022 could shape up to be a spectacular year.
Den här kommentaren har tagits bort av skribenten.
SvaraRaderaTry again :-)
Raderaalways looking forward rd to these posts. To confirm the card of the year, Scott B. managed to take game 1 in our final Derby match by top decking a fountain, take 1 life, survive my last attack with 1 life and attack with the Serra for lethal. great shit :-)
Thanks a lot Henk! Haha, that sounds about right! I survived two or three extra turns in a topdeck race against Svante Langraf at BSK thanks to fountain. He eventually found bolts faster than I found counterpunches, but it still became a much more of a nail biter.
Radera2021 might have been a horrible year in many respects, but it was the year that i discovered MTG after 25+ years! I vaguely recall buying my first cards: A revised booster... and I left MTG when Alliances was starting to show in school.
SvaraRaderaThe last couple of months have been quite a ride and this blog was one the important places on the internet where i discovered oldschool <3 I am still plowing through decks-to-beat, deck techs and so on... What a treasure!
Keep up the good work!