Step Forward: Why You Should Play in FNM.

Hey everyone.  I'm going to cut to the gist of this right now. You should be playing in Friday Night Magic.

Not because we want your money.  Not because casual players are "lame" (they aren't).  You should be playing in FNM because it's awesome.

This post is dedicated to why FNM is awesome, and why most arguments against it are misconceptions.

Why FNM is awesome:

• You get to play Magic. This is the most obvious point, but it's also the most important.  You get to play Magic consistently.  You don't have to worry about your friends bailing on you or getting sick because FNM is always going to run at the same time, at the same place.  You get to schedule your Magic fix quickly and easily.
  
• The community is diverse. The first thing that dazzled me about the Magic community was its diversity.  I don't just mean ethnically, though that is pretty astonishing.  At Big Ben's, we might have high school students, college students, bankers, doctors, servicemen, industry workers, and the head of a big non-profit playing with us on any given week.  One of my personal friends and #22 ranked Magic player in the world as of this post, Ari Lax, lives in Cambridge as a professional engineer when he's not crushing huge tournaments on the weekends.  There's so much to learn from just talking to these people; it can even overshadow the game itself.  After all, you'll always have something to talk about: Magic!
  
• It's an affordable night out. A movie ticket will set you back at least ten bucks anymore, and that lasts for about two to three hours.  Entry to FNM will cost you about the same and will last the whole night.  You can bring your friends, talk as much as you want, grab a bite to eat between rounds, and just enjoy your evening without any barriers.  Also, viewing a movie really well won't win you any prizes to see a movie next week for free, but kicking some tail at FNM means that you can come back next week for cheap.
  
• You get better. I tell everyone who has never been to FNM the same thing.  If you want to get better at Magic, you have to play with and against people who are better than you.  FNM is the perfect place to learn stronger play and deckbuilding because the stakes are low and all kinds of players, from competitive to laid-back, show up.

Numerous casual players are often nervous about "the tournament scene" and don't join.  They're doing themselves and the rest of us a disservice.  We always welcome more people in the community!

To dispel some of these fears, here are some misconceptions about FNM:

• "You need a thousand-dollar deck to have a chance." I understand why someone might think this way.  Some Magic cards are expensive, and these expensive cards are often strong (that's why they're expensive).  However, another option always exists.  As of this writing, a $15 Black-Red Aggro deck is easy to make and use; I've seen it crush many faces.  Draft tournaments don't involve bringing your own deck, so everyone is equal in those.  Of course, you can always take a pet deck and give it a whirl.  Even if you don't win every game, experimenting and fun are the purposes of FNM!
  
• "Tournament players are scary." The vast majority of FNM players are good people.  Frankly, I've never been in a "geek" community this friendly and open.  Magic players love to help newcomers to the FNM scene -- it makes us feel important and reminds us of when we were new.  In fact, just a couple months ago, one of our regulars saw a young man deciding on an Intro Pack to buy.  Without meeting the new player or expecting to see him again, that veteran bought the Intro Pack for him.  Every so often you will find someone rude, but that will happen in any group of people.  As a whole, the FNM community is great.
  
• "What if the Judge DQ's me?" We judges are not the Magic Police, and we certainly don't want to disqualify anyone (it's a lot of paperwork).  If you make a mistake in a match or you aren't sure what should happen, call us over.  The worst you'll usually get from us is, "Try not to do that again."  So don't worry -- the judges are here to make your evening of Magic as great as possible.
  
• "I'm not ready for that yet." No, you aren't, and you won't be. No matter how much he or she  "prepares," nobody is ready for their first tournament.  Embrace it! Ask questions, listen to answers, and observe the skilled players and how they play.  Make friends.  You won't ever be ready until you just do it!

So what are you waiting for? It's Friday night! Go play some Magic at your local game store!

Happy Planeswalking.

B-Tops